Delaware County begins distribution of pouches that render prescription meds unusable

Delaware County officials announced Monday that approximately 165,000 residential addresses in the county would soon be receiving Deterra Drug Deactivation System pouches and outreach postcards in the mail.

“There is an overdose epidemic throughout the nation and Delaware County has not been spared,” said County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor at a press conference Monday. “Hundreds of precious lives have been lost and thousands of families have been affected by drug addiction and drug overdoses. We know that the single most powerful weapon to fight this epidemic is prevention.”

Taylor said the initial round of pouches was purchased from manufacturer Verde Technologies with about $1 million of the $63 million the county will receive in 18 annual payments as its portion of a $26 billion multi-state opioid settlement with Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.