WOONSOCKET, R.I., Oct. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health (NYSE:
CVS) is encouraging consumers to clean out their medicine cabinets
and safely dispose of unused prescription medication on National
Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, this October 27. CVS Health has installed safe
medication disposal units in more than 750 CVS Pharmacy locations
nationwide and has donated more than 900 additional units to
community locations such as police departments. Together,
these units have collected more than 217 metric tons, or 480,000
pounds, of unwanted medication. Additionally, on October 27, nearly 100 CVS Pharmacy locations
will join other community sites around the country to host law
enforcement take-back events, allowing the public to safely dispose
of unwanted medication. National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is
hosted biannually by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
to provide an opportunity for Americans to help prevent drug
addiction and overdose deaths.
"CVS Health is dedicated to helping address and prevent
prescription drug abuse and misuse, which is why we have worked to
increase access to and awareness of safe medication disposal
options in the communities we serve," said Tom Davis, R.Ph., Vice President of Professional
Services for CVS Pharmacy. "Unused medications, especially
opioids, should not be left in medicine cabinets where they could
be at risk of misuse or diversion. We are proud to have supported
the collection of more than 480,000 pounds of unwanted medication
to date, getting it out of homes and disposed of safely, and we are
looking forward to adding to that achievement."
According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health,
6.2 million Americans misused controlled prescriptions and often
obtained them from family and friends. In-home medicine cabinets
are often the source of diverted prescriptions, making it critical
for patients to properly dispose of unused prescriptions in a
timely manner to prevent prescription misuse and
diversion.
In addition to promoting safe medication disposal, the company
is also working to combat the opioid epidemic by increasing access
to the opioid overdose drug naloxone. CVS Pharmacy locations in 48
states have standing orders, or similar protocol, which allow
patients to obtain this medication without an individual
prescription. CVS Health has also focused on opioid abuse
prevention through the company's Pharmacists Teach program. This
program connects CVS pharmacists to local schools to talk with
students and parents about the dangers of abusing prescription
drugs, using a curriculum CVS Health developed with the Partnership
for Drug-Free Kids. More than 400,000 students and parents
nationwide have participated in the program.
Additionally, as a Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) and a retail
pharmacy, CVS Health has implemented programs to help its clients
reduce opioid utilization for members when clinically appropriate
and strengthened retail pharmacist-led patient counseling on safe
opioid use. These programs align with the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for
Chronic Pain.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation
company helping people on their path to better health. Through its
more than 9,800 retail locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical
clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 94
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
(401) 770-9237
Erin.Britt@CVSHealth.com
Amy Lanctot
(401) 770-2931
Amy.Lanctot@CVSHealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health