21 U.S.C. § 822a — Prescription drug take back expansion

(a) Definition of covered entity. This section defines "covered entity." It lists several kinds of groups. These include state, local, or tribal law enforcement agencies. They include makers, distributors, or "reverse distributors" of prescription medications. They include retail pharmacies and registered narcotic treatment programs. They include hospitals or clinics with an onsite pharmacy, and eligible long-term care facilities. They also include any other group the Drug Enforcement Administration allows to dispose of prescription medications. (b) Program authorized. The Attorney General must work with three other officials. These are the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The third is the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Together, they work with covered entities. Their goal is to add more drop-off sites for unwanted prescription medications. These sites let people safely get rid of drugs they no longer need, instead of throwing them out or keeping them at home.

The record establishes that this section was enacted by Public Law 114–198, title II, § 203, approved July 22, 2016, and published at 130 Stat. 717. The source credit indicates one amendment since original enactment, though the credit provided does not detail its content. Public Law 114–198 is commonly known as the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA). The Act is generally understood to have been a legislative response to the opioid epidemic that intensified through the 2000s and 2010s, addressing concerns about prescription drug misuse, addiction treatment, and overdose deaths. CARA is commonly cited as having authorized a range of federal grant programs and initiatives spanning prevention, treatment, recovery, law enforcement, and overdose reversal. Within that broader framework, provisions establishing or expanding prescription drug take-back mechanisms are generally understood to reflect congressional concern that unused or unwanted prescription medications—particularly opioids—remaining in households posed a risk of diversion, misuse, or accidental ingestion. Expanding safe disposal options is commonly described as one strategy for reducing the pool of medications available for nonmedical use. Beyond this general context, the record does not establish the specific legislative reasoning, deliberations, or intent behind this particular section's structure or its designation of covered entities. Readers seeking that level of detail should consult the legislative history materials associated with Public Law 114–198 directly.