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Board advances ordinance requiring drug manufacturers to fund safe take‑back program on first reading
Summary
Supervisors unanimously advanced an ordinance at first reading that would require manufacturers to fund a citywide medication take‑back program, create a legacy of drop‑off locations and authorize enforcement and fees; sponsors said the program builds on a 3‑year pilot that collected roughly 23.5 tons of medication.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted, on its first reading March 10, an ordinance directing drug manufacturers to fund and operate a city‑wide medication take‑back program to collect unwanted or expired pharmaceuticals from residential sources.
President London Breed (presiding) and the ordinance’s lead sponsor framed the legislation as addressing public safety and environmental concerns. "Unwanted and expired medications are not just an environmental problem, they can be a public safety risk," the sponsor said, citing calls to the Poison Control Center and national overdose statistics presented to the board.
The ordinance would amend the Environment Code to require participation in an approved drug stewardship program that provides secure drop‑off bins at pharmacies and other collection methods, sets implementation and enforcement rules, and authorizes fees and penalties. The sponsor told the board the measure is modeled on similar producer‑funded programs in other U.S. and international jurisdictions and builds on a San Francisco pilot program that has collected about 23.5 tons (47,000 pounds) of medication.
The sponsor said the Department of the Environment will oversee the program and that manufacturers would likely form a third‑party LLC to administer take‑back operations. The ordinance includes a provision requiring the city's two city‑run pharmacies to participate at launch; combined with police stations and existing pilot sites, that would create an initial set of approximately 25 drop‑off locations.
Supporters noted letters of endorsement from city departments and a coalition of public health, environmental and medical organizations. The sponsor said the administration and retailers such as Safeway, Walgreens, Target, CVS and Kaiser have indicated willingness to participate and that the ordinance keeps flexibility for manufacturers to choose efficient collection methods if retail participation is limited.
Board members spoke in favor of the ordinance. Supervisor Eric Mar expressed support after a lengthy committee hearing and staff follow‑up memo answered outstanding questions about timeline and feasibility. Supervisor Kim added her name as a cosponsor. After no objections, the board adopted the ordinance on first reading unanimously.
No additional amendments were adopted during the March 10 meeting. The measure will return for a subsequent reading as required by the City’s legislative process.
