According to a Jan. 17 NPR article, Walmart plans on offering DisposeRx to all individuals prescribed opioid drugs. The free product, when mixed with warm water and an opioid drug, creates a biodegradable gel that can safely be disposed of. Critics argue that while DisposeRx is useful, it will have little impact on the number of opioid-related deaths. What do you think of Walmart's decision, and do you believe this could help mitigate prescription opioid abuse?

Dr. Sharon Reif (Heller)
By offering a free, seamlessly provided and simple approach to render opioid medications non-usable, Walmart is encouraging change in two ways.  First, it is emphasizing the importance of disposing opioid medications when no longer taking them. Second, disposal must be done safely and effectively. Other methods do exist — such as prescription take-back days or flushing medications — but take-back or drop-off approaches are not available everywhere or continuously, and environmental concerns are raised about flushing medications.  Will DisposeRx reduce overdoses or addiction?  Likely in a limited way as many factors are in play, and the misuse of prescription opioids needs a multi-pronged approach, including education, prevention and treatment. Do I support the initiative?  Yes, at least for the attention that it brings to the need for safe opioid medication disposal and Walmart’s wide reach. We should be expansive in our efforts to reduce the risk of opioid misuse, overdose and addiction.
Dr. Sharon Reif (Heller) is a senior scientist and lecturer at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.

Brenden O’Donnell
Substance abuse is not black and white. It is a chemical problem, but also a social and political problem with a long history of unequal distribution of health resources according to gender, race, class and sexual difference. Solutions should therefore take into account not only the number of deaths, but also experiences. From this perspective, DisposeRx is compelling. Someone who is tempted to misuse, resell or preserve drugs might not have much time to weigh various disposal options like mail-back programs, take-back events and collection receptacles. DisposeRx makes disposal more immediate, placing the means of destroying the drug literally in the hands of the patient. As a supplement to policies limiting opioid prescriptions, programs that encourage disposal could provide more options to a more diverse range of people affected by the opioid crisis.

Brenden O’Donnell is a graduate student in the English department and conducts research on critical addiction. 

Abraham Cheloff ’18
DisposeRx, while providing a safe and convenient method of disposing excess medications, seems to do little in terms of curbing the opioid epidemic. DisposeRx targets leftover or expired drugs that are left in medicine cabinets and, thus, could be abused by family members or friends looking to get high. While this certainly constitutes a path to opioid addiction, I am unsure that this new product will provide a new motivation to dispose of drugs that has not been present previously. Anyone with leftover medications could easily have crushed them and mixed them with dirt, flushed the medications or thrown them down the garbage disposal. Individuals who leave these leftover medications in their medicine cabinets made the choice not to dispose of them in any way. I do not believe that these individuals would now go to Walmart and stock up on DisposeRx in case there is ever a need for it. This product might rather attract those who are looking to improve on their disposal practices, perhaps in order to decrease water contamination.
Abraham Cheloff ’18 is a Biology Undergraduate Departmental Representative. He is also a teacher’s assistant for General Biology Lab and does undergraduate research in the Miller Lab. 

Jared Martin ’19
I previously hadn’t heard anything about this product or the implications it might have on bettering our society’s ongoing opioid crisis.  When I looked into the situation a little bit more, I realized that I never really put too much thought into the disposal of medication if left over or unneeded.  I think that the DisposeRx product certainly deserves acclaim not only for what it is able to chemically produce, but also for how it demonstrates a conscientious effort to curb the growth of new opioid addictions.  I totally support Walmart in their decision to provide this complementary product with prescribed medication, as I believe that it will prevent misuse in many households that regularly use Walmart as their pharmacy.  Perhaps it won’t provide an immediately profound impact by combating addiction, but it certainly will prevent abusive tendencies in at least some cases, which is why it is necessary.
Jared Martin ’19 is a Biology major. He is also a member of Pre-Health Society executive board and the treasurer of Pre-Veterinary Society.