DUBLIN, Ohio, April 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of
its ongoing commitment to prevent prescription drug misuse, the
Cardinal Health Foundation encourages the public to participate in
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event, hosted by the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA), aims to help prevent medication
abuse and theft by providing a safe, easy and anonymous way of
getting unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs out of the
home.
"Proper medication disposal is one of the simplest and most
effective ways for anyone to fight the epidemic of prescription
drug misuse," said Betsy Walker,
director of Community Relations at Cardinal Health and co-director
of Generation Rx, an initiative from the Cardinal Health Foundation
and The Ohio State University College
of Pharmacy that fights prescription drug misuse through prevention
education.
Last October, Americans turned in 366 tons of prescription drugs
at almost 5,200 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,000 of
its state and local law enforcement partners. In support of
take-back days and prevention education, the Cardinal Health
Foundation awarded nearly $900,000
through Generation Rx grants last year. The Foundation's Medication
Disposal Grant Program helps nonprofit organizations build or
expand existing disposal programs to educate communities about safe
medication practices that help reduce prescription drug misuse.
"As highly respected healthcare providers in their communities,
pharmacists play a powerful role in fighting prescription drug
misuse," Steve Lawrence, senior vice
president of Independent Sales at Cardinal Health and executive
sponsor of Generation Rx said. "And we know it's critical to engage
young people. In fact, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration says that youth who learn about the risks
of prescription drug misuse are up to 50 percent less likely to
ever misuse them."
On National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, one Generation Rx
Medication Disposal Grant recipient, the Children's Coalition for
Northeast Louisiana, will work in partnership with local sheriff's
departments, pharmacies, student pharmacists and high school
students to expand the number of drug take-back sites in their
region, doubling the number of take-back sites since last year's
event.
"The take-back events give us the opportunity to shine a
spotlight on the issue of prescription drug misuse," said
Mary Barrios, healthy living
coordinator at Children's Coalition for Northeast Louisiana. "We can't underestimate
the power of our partnerships. Together, we're starting the
conversation and educating youth, parents and seniors about
prescription drug misuse. It's our goal to create sustainable
change and significantly reduce the misuse in our community."
To measure the effectiveness of their efforts, the Children's
Coalition for Northeast Louisiana
will compare their expanded drug take-back events to those of prior
years by measuring the number of participants and the number of
pounds of prescription drugs collected. All Medication Disposal
Grant recipients will report on the results of their initiatives in
the summer of 2017.
Those interested in learning more about the Generation
Rx program or grant recipient results can visit
generationrx.org. Those interested in locating a take-back location
can visit deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug disposal/takeback.
About Generation Rx
Through Generation Rx, the
Cardinal Health Foundation, in partnership with The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and many
others at the local, state and national level, is engaged in the
fight against prescription drug misuse. Generation Rx takes a
multi-pronged approach, providing prevention education, increasing
participation in drug take back programs, supporting community
collaborations and encouraging prescribers to limit opioid
prescriptions. Since 2009, the Cardinal Health Foundation has
invested over $6 million in
Generation Rx grants nationwide.
About the Cardinal Health Foundation
The
Cardinal Health Foundation supports local, national and
international programs that improve health care efficiency,
effectiveness and excellence and the overall wellness of the
communities where Cardinal Health's nearly 40,000 employees live
and work. The Cardinal Health Foundation also offers grants to
encourage community service among its employees and works through
international agencies to donate much-needed medical supplies and
funding to those who need them in times of disaster because
Cardinal Health is #AllInForGood. To learn more,
visit www.CardinalHealth.com/community and visit the
Facebook page
at www.facebook.com/CardinalHealthFoundation.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fighting-prescription-drug-misuse-cardinal-health-foundation-supports-national-drug-take-back-day-300445722.html
SOURCE Cardinal Health