CINCINNATI and DUBLIN, Ohio, Oct. 24,
2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) and
Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) are uniting to host drug take-back
events at more than 200 Kroger Family of Pharmacies locations from
10 a.m. – 2
p.m. local time on Saturday, October
27, 2018.
These events, part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, provide a safe,
convenient and anonymous way to dispose of unused or expired
medications. Drug take-back events also provide the opportunity to
raise awareness of the opioid epidemic and the importance of using
medications safely. During the events, Kroger pharmacy associates
will provide participants with educational resources around
prescription drug misuse.
Both companies care deeply about the devastation prescription
drug misuse has caused and are committed to working together as
well as with other partners to help address the issue.
"Kroger is committed to partnering with our associates,
customers, communities and companies like Cardinal Health to help
solve the opioid epidemic," said Colleen
Lindholz, president of the Kroger Pharmacy and The Little
Clinic. "The drug take-back events are one part of our
comprehensive commitment, which includes offering naloxone—the
life-saving medication—at our 2,300 pharmacy locations across the
country to combat the health crisis."
"Drug take-back events are a key component of our Generation
Rx program, which is designed to teach people of all ages about
using medications safely," said Jessie
Cannon, Vice President of Community Relations at Cardinal
Health. "We created Generation Rx in partnership with the
Ohio State University College of
Pharmacy nearly a decade ago and have reached more than a million
children, young people and adults with its critical resources and
messages. Under the umbrella of Generation Rx and our Opioid
Action Program, we are pleased to continue the partnership with
Kroger around these community-based take-back events."
Independent public health experts agree that properly disposing
of prescription medications is essential to the fight against the
opioid epidemic. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and
Health, nearly 53 percent of those who misused prescription pain
relievers obtained them from a friend or relative.1 Only
about 11 percent of unused medication is disposed of properly,
according to the Geisinger Center for Health Research.2
Further, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and
Medicine recommendations include the need for improved consumer
access to convenient and year-round drug take-back opportunities to
reduce the amount of unused medications available for
misuse.3
Cardinal Health and Kroger have worked together to sponsor
community drug take-back events for several years. In April 2018, they co-hosted more than 100 events
across 26 states, where more than 16,000 pounds of unused or
expired medications were collected.
To view Kroger and Cardinal Health's 2018 drug take-back
locations, visit Kroger.com/takebackday or the respective store
banner's website.
About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are
dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are
nearly half a million associates who serve over nine million
customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and
2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving
America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating
#ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us,
visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
About Cardinal Health
Cardinal Health, Inc. is a
global, integrated healthcare services and products company,
providing customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems,
pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and
physician offices worldwide. The company provides clinically proven
medical products, pharmaceuticals and cost-effective solutions that
enhance supply chain efficiency from hospital to home. To help
combat prescription drug abuse, the company and its education
partners created Generation Rx, a national drug education
and awareness program. Backed by nearly 100 years of experience,
with approximately 50,000 employees in nearly 46 countries,
Cardinal Health ranks #14 on the Fortune 500. For
more information, visit cardinalhealth.com,
follow @CardinalHealth on
Twitter, @cardinalhealthwings on Facebook and connect on
LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/cardinal-health.
About Cardinal Health's Opioid Action Program
In
2017, Cardinal Health launched the Opioid Action Program, a pilot
program that builds on the work of aimed at helping communities
across the Appalachian region, including in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and West
Virginia. The program delivers much needed front-line tools
to help prevent opioid abuse and support communities, schools and
first responders. The Opioid Action Program builds on Generation
Rx. Learn more at www.cardinalhealth.com/opioidactionprogram.
About Generation Rx
Generation Rx works to end
prescription drug misuse through prevention education, drug take
back, best practices in pain management and community
collaborations. The program was created through a partnership with
the Cardinal Health Foundation and The Ohio State
University College of Pharmacy. Since 2009, more than one
million people across the country have been reached with Generation
Rx messages. To learn more, visit www.GenerationRx.org.
1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration. 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Available online at:
https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FFR1-2016/NSDUH-FFR1-2016.pdf.
2 Geisinger Center Health Research. Available online at:
https://www.geisinger.org/about-geisinger/news-and-media/news-releases/2017/03/24/18/30/study-highlights-most-common-medications-left-unused-by-patients
3 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and
Medicine. Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic: Balancing
Societal and Individual Benefits and Risks of Prescription Opioid
Use. Available online at:
https://www.nap.edu/catalog/24781/pain-management-and-the-opioid-epidemic-balancing-societal-and-individual
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.