CINCINNATI and WASHINGTON, Aug. 21,
2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kroger Health, the healthcare
division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), announced the launch of a
new interactive prescription drug safety course for adults. The
free wellness resource is made available through Kroger
Health's relationship with leading social-impact technology
innovator EVERFI, Inc.
In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
identified opioid overdoses as the leading cause of injury-related
death in the U.S., taking the life of more than 67,000 people. Of
those deaths, almost 70% involved a prescription or illicit opioid.
A contributing factor for the prevalence of opioid misuse in the
U.S. is Americans' perception of prescription drugs as safe simply
because they are prescribed by a physician. Kroger Health's new
wellness resource provides patients, caregivers and pharmacy
employees with necessary information to better understand the
dangers of misusing prescription drugs.
"At Kroger Health, our vision is to help people live healthier
lives," said Colleen Lindholz,
president of Kroger Health. "Providing this new prescription drug
safety course for our associates and customers will help them
better understand their prescription medication, techniques to
properly dispose of that medication, and ways to help family and
friends who may be struggling with a prescription misuse
disorder."
The wellness resource uses interactive scenarios and self-guided
activities to lead adult prescription drug users through 10
learning modules, covering topics such as using safe disposal
methods, recognizing and recovering from an opioid misuse
situation, and supporting friends and family suffering from opioid
misuse or opioid use disorder. The learning resource is
mobile-friendly and designed to simplify vast quantities of
information available to provide users with the knowledge they need
when they need it.
"Information about prescription drugs is often overwhelming to
the average person, who is trying to follow the instructions and
take their medication as prescribed," said Jon Chapman, co-founder and president, EVERFI.
"The information that is readily available often speaks to what not
to do and doesn't provide guidance on alternatives. Kroger Health
is providing information that educates and guides people through
the methods to take their medications safely, an approach that has
been missing as we address the opioid crisis."
Kroger Health's new resource expands previous work with EVERFI
to deliver a high school level prescription drug safety course. In
2018, Kroger Health joined the Prescription Drug Safety
Network, a national coalition committed to empowering Americans
with the skills and knowledge to make safe decisions about
prescription medications through digital education. Through its
work with the Prescription Drug Safety Network, Kroger
Health has impacted more than 43,000 high school students across
the United States.
Kroger Health's wellness resource is available to all adults at
krogerhealth.everfi-next.net.
About Kroger Health
Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., is one of
America's leading retail healthcare organizations, with over 2,200
pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states serving more than 14
million customers. Our team of 22,000 healthcare practitioners -
from pharmacists and nurse practitioners, to dietitians and
technicians – are committed to helping people live healthier lives.
We believe in practicing at the top of our licenses and enabling
"food as medicine" to help prevent and manage chronic disease. We
are dedicated to providing testing and wellness services to help
Americans combat the COVID-19 crisis. Learn more
at www.krogerhealth.com.
About The Kroger Co.
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we
are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed
the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly
half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily
through a seamless shopping experience under a variety
of banner names. We are committed to creating
#ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us,
visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
About EVERFI, Inc.
EVERFI is an international
technology company driving social change through education to
address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from
financial wellness to prescription drug safety to workplace conduct
and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) community engagement platform and has
reached more than 41 million learners globally. Recognized as one
of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2020,
EVERFI powers community engagement in a sustained manner to empower
individuals and organizations to make an impact within their
communities. The Company also convenes Networks to bring together
financial institutions, colleges and universities, and some of the
largest corporations to leverage insights and connections to drive
impact. To learn more about EVERFI visit everfi.com or follow us on
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter @EVERFI.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.