 Pharmaceuticals Product Category
Regulatory History
The pharmaceutical industry voluntarily established the Medications Return Program in November 1996 and was regulated under the Post-Consumer Residual Stewardship Program Regulation in 1997.
In the fall of 1999, in response to a request from the British Columbia Minister of Environment, pharmaceutical industry associations created an association to act on  behalf of the pharmaceutical industry and administer an approved Program Plan called the Medications Return Program. The Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA), Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D) and NDMAC - Advancing Canadian self-care represent the majority of the brand-owners of pharmaceuticals and self-care health products. These groups created an association known today as Post-consumer Pharmaceutical Stewardship Association (PCPSA).
The Post-Consumer Residual Stewardship Program Regulation was passed in March 1997 and expanded to include pharmaceutical products and ensure a level playing field for all brand owners selling prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs and natural health products. The Environmental Management Act was brought into force on July 8, 2004. This legislation combined the Waste Management Act and Environment Management Act to create a single statute governing environmental protection and management in British Columbia.
The new act incorporated provisions allowing for the development of innovative and modern regulatory regimes. One such regime is the Recycling Regulation. The Recycling Regulation (BC Reg. 449/04), enacted on October 7, 2004, repealed the existing Post-Consumer Residual Stewardship Program Regulation and incorporated key provisions into a schedule of the Recycling Regulation. The pharmaceutical product category is defined under the Residual Product Categories in Schedule 2 of the Recycling Regulation.
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