DUBLIN, Ohio, April 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardinal Health,
as part of its Opioid Action Program, is pleased to donate
more than 16,000 prepaid prescription medication disposal envelopes
to the National Community Pharmacists Association Foundation for
distribution to NCPA member pharmacies free of charge.
These prescription medication disposal envelopes, known as
TakeAway Medication Recovery System™ Envelopes, are manufactured by
Sharps Compliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: SMED), and have been in use for
more than a decade to help patients safely and conveniently dispose
of unused prescription drugs by securely mailing them to Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA)-approved destruction
facilities.
Steve Lawrence, Senior Vice
President, Independent Sales, said, "Ensuring that individuals
can safely and securely dispose of unused medications is critical
to reducing opioid abuse and saving lives. For nearly a decade,
Cardinal Health has invested in programs that provide communities
with necessary tools to fight the opioid epidemic. We are pleased
to work with the NCPA Foundation on this program as part of our
Opioid Action Program."
Gerald Shapiro, NCPA
Foundation president and owner of Uptown Drug and Gift Shop in
Los Angeles said, "Our
pharmacies are at the front lines of the opioid epidemic and this
donation of medication disposal envelopes from Cardinal Health will
help combat opioid misuse and abuse in communities across the
country. We are proud to work with Cardinal Health to support its
Opioid Action Program and ongoing efforts to combat the
opioid epidemic."
David Tusa, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Sharps Compliance, Inc. commented,
"We have long believed that one of the key elements to effectively
addressing the opioid abuse problem is the safe, convenient and
proper disposal of unused medications. We're very pleased to play a
role in Cardinal Health's generous donation and applaud their
commitment, and that of the NCPA Foundation, in taking substantive
action to prevent the misuse of
opioids."
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly
54 percent of those who misused prescription painkillers obtained
them from a friend or relative. The Geisinger Center for Health
Research also found that only about 11 percent of unused medication
is disposed of properly. The National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering and Medicine recommends improved consumer access to
convenient and year-round drug take-back opportunities, to reduce
the amount of unused medications available for misuse.
Sharps Compliance Inc., supplies its TakeAway Medication
Recovery System disposal envelopes to participating pharmacies
across the U.S. Customers simply put their unused medications in
the envelope and drop it in any mailbox. The company also supplies
the envelopes to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs,
to offer those veterans who have unused prescription drugs a safe
and reliable method for disposal.
Since the launch of its Opioid Action Program, Cardinal
Health has partnered with organizations across the country to
further its commitment to bring new resources to hard-hit
communities to help fight the opioid epidemic.
About Cardinal Health's Opioid Action Program
In
2017, Cardinal Health launched the Opioid Action
Program, a pilot program aimed at helping communities in
across the Appalachian region, including
in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and West
Virginia, four of the nation's hardest-hit states. The program
delivers much needed front-line tools to help prevent opioid abuse
and support communities, schools and first responders.
The Opioid Action Program also builds
on Generation Rx, the prescription drug misuse prevention
program created in 2009 through a partnership of the Cardinal
Health Foundation and the Ohio State University College
of Pharmacy. For more information, please
visit www.cardinalhealth.com/opioidactionprogram.
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 and pharmaceuticals and cost-effective solutions
that enhance supply chain efficiency from hospital to home.
Cardinal Health connects patients, providers, payers, pharmacists
and manufacturers for integrated care coordination and better
patient management. Because Cardinal Health helps ensure
pharmacists and the consumers they serve have access to medications
they need while working to help prevent prescription drug
diversion, the company and its education partners
created Generation Rx, a national program to help prevent the
misuse of prescription medications. Cardinal Health is backed by
nearly 100 years of experience, with approximately 50,000 employees
in nearly 60 countries. For more information,
visit cardinalhealth.com, follow @CardinalHealth on
Twitter and connect on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/
company/cardinal-health.
About the National Community Pharmacist Association
Foundation in Virginia
The
NCPA Foundation is a nonprofit, philanthropic 501(c)(3)
organization established in 1953. The foundation is completely
autonomous and relies on external support from individuals and
corporations to maintain its far-reaching programs—including those
that help develop the future leaders and entrepreneurs of the
community pharmacy profession. There is no other foundation in the
United States solely dedicated to research, education and public
outreach on behalf of independent community pharmacy. The NCPA
Foundation advances independent community pharmacy through
scholarships to pharmacy students, research/programs to improve the
success of independent pharmacy and patient care, community health
awareness programs, and aid to community pharmacy owners for their
recovery in the event of disaster or other adverse circumstances.
For more information please visit:
https://www.ncpafoundation.org/
About Sharps Compliance
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Sharps Compliance is a leading
full-service national provider of comprehensive waste management
services including medical, pharmaceutical and hazardous. Sharps
also provides two simple solutions for safe and easy disposal of
unused medications: MedSafe collection receptacles and TakeAway
Medication Recovery System envelopes. Since 2009, Sharps' solutions
have facilitated the proper destruction of more than 2 million
pounds of unused medications. More information on the Company and
its products can be found on its website
at: www.sharpsinc.com.
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SOURCE Cardinal Health