WOONSOCKET, R.I., April 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health
(NYSE: CVS) today released a new report following a CVS
Health-Morning Consult survey which found Americans see
prescription drug abuse as a growing problem that is increasingly
impacting their lives. Days ahead of the Drug Enforcement Agency's
(DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the report also
finds that 75 percent of respondents believe the problem of
prescription drug abuse is tied to people who take medication
prescribed for someone else. At the same time, nearly one in
three people report having unused medication in their home and one
in five say they or someone they know has had prescription
medication stolen from their home.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day occurs this
Saturday, April 29, 2017.
Nearly 140 CVS Pharmacy locations will be among the many sites
across the country accepting unwanted prescription
medication. These sites supplement the more than 750
year-round drug disposal locations donated to law enforcement
agencies across the country by CVS Health's Medication Disposal for
Safer Communities Program. The units donated as part of this
program have collected more than 80 metric tons, or more than
175,000 pounds, of unwanted medication since the program began in
2014.
"CVS Health is dedicated to addressing and preventing
prescription drug abuse in the communities we serve," said
Thomas Moriarty, Executive Vice
President, Chief Policy and External Affairs Officer, and General
Counsel for CVS Health. "Understanding public perception
about the epidemic and factors that contribute to it, including
safe and environmentally friendly medication disposal, is key to
raising awareness and preventing future abuse. We are proud
to partner with law enforcement to encourage drug disposal and
prevention this weekend for National Prescription Drug Take Back
Day and all year long through our Medication Disposal for Safer
Communities Program."
The CVS Health report also finds nearly one in three people
report being personally impacted by the issue of prescription drug
abuse and nearly 40 percent say the number of people they know who
have been personally impacted by the issue increased in the last
year. On the topic of drug disposal, 43 percent of
respondents say they have thrown unused or expired medications in
the trash, more than any other method indicated in the
survey. However, 70 percent of people say they are likely to
use conveniently located disposal units to safely get rid of
unwanted medication and the same percentage think increasing
disposal sites and take back events would be effective in
addressing prescription drug abuse.
CVS Health has made resources to educate patients about
preventing prescription drug abuse available on CVS.com.
Among these resources is a tool patients can use to find a safe
medication disposal site available year-round in their local
community.
"There are far too many unused prescription drugs in medicine
cabinets across the country, opening the door for much of the
improper use we've seen," said Gary
Mendell, founder and CEO of Shatterproof, a non-profit
dedicated to reducing the devastation the disease of addiction
causes families. "Shatterproof has worked with doctors, pharmacies,
lawmakers and most importantly, patients, to educate them on the
dangers of over-prescription and the need for prescription drug
monitoring programs. I applaud CVS Health for recognizing this
problem and taking action to reduce the number of extra pills and
make our communities safer."
CVS Health is also working to address and prevent prescription
drug abuse by increasing access to the opioid-overdose reversal
medication naloxone in 41 states. Additionally, through the
company's Pharmacists Teach program, CVS pharmacists have
volunteered to educate more than 230,000 students about the dangers
of prescription drug abuse.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is sponsored by the
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and aims to provide a safe,
convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription
drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential
for abuse of medications.
About CVS Health
CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) is a pharmacy
innovation company helping people on their path to better health.
Through its more than 9,700 retail locations, more than 1,100
walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with
nearly 90 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care
business serving more than one million patients per year, expanding
specialty pharmacy services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare
Part D prescription drug plan, the company enables people,
businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and
effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to
quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall
health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is
shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.
Media Contact:
Erin Shields Britt
Corporate Communications
(401) 770-9237
Erin.Britt@CVSHealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health