DisposeRx Rollout is Part of the Company’s
Continued Efforts to Address the Country’s Opioid Epidemic
Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) announced today that DisposeRx,
a first-of-its-kind opioid disposal solution, is now available at
all of Rite Aid’s more than 2,500 pharmacies across the United
States. DisposeRx packets contain a biodegradable powder that, when
mixed with water in the prescription vial, dissolves drugs, forming
a viscous gel which may be safely discarded in the trash.
“DisposeRx packets are an innovative and easy-to-use drug
disposal solution and as one of the nation’s leading drugstores,
Rite Aid is excited to offer this solution to our patients at no
cost,” said Jocelyn Konrad, Rite Aid executive vice president of
pharmacy. “While there’s no single solution to the opioid crisis,
practicing safe medication disposal is an important and significant
step we can all take. Rite Aid pharmacists, as medication experts
and one of the most accessible healthcare providers, are
well-positioned to engage with their patients on this important
topic.”
DisposeRx packets contain a blend of patented and proprietary
solidifying materials that provide a safe and permanent solution
for the disposal of unwanted, unused or expired medications,
including pills, tablets and capsules. When water and the DisposeRx
powder are added to drugs in the prescription vial and shaken, the
drugs are dissolved and then both chemically and physically
sequestered in a biodegradable, viscous gel from which they cannot
be extracted. The packet can then be discarded in household
trash.
Rite Aid will provide DisposeRx packets to patients with new
opioid prescriptions and patients with chronic opioid prescriptions
will be offered a packet every six months. Rite Aid pharmacists
will provide counseling on proper use of the DisposeRx packet. In
addition, all patients with opioid prescriptions will receive
educational information on opioid use, safe storage, disposal and
proper use of naloxone, and all patients with new opioid
prescriptions will receive required counseling on their
prescription from Rite Aid pharmacists.
Dr. John Holaday, CEO of DisposeRx, Inc. commented on today's
announcement: “We are very pleased that pharmacies, such
as Rite Aid, are stepping up and taking action to battle the
scourge of prescription drug abuse facing our nation. Pharmacists
play a major role in stemming deaths from prescription drug abuse
by educating their patients on proper drug disposal and by
providing simple solutions, such as DisposeRx packets, for
convenient, in-home, and safe disposal of all unused and expired
medications." Dr. Holaday continued, "We fully
support Rite Aid’s ongoing efforts to assist us in cleaning
out America’s medicine cabinets.”
The chainwide availability of DisposeRx is the latest measure
being taken by Rite Aid as part of its comprehensive strategy to
address opioid and other drug abuse and misuse in the country.
Additional elements of Rite Aid’s existing program include:
- Making naloxone, a medication that can
be used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, available
without a prescription at all of the more than 2,500 Rite Aid
pharmacies nationwide.
- Supporting the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for prescribing opioids,
including limiting acute opioid prescriptions to a seven day
supply, limiting the daily dosage of opioids dispensed based on the
strength of the opioid and requiring the use of immediate-release
formulations of opioids before extended release opioids are
dispensed.
- On-going education and training of Rite
Aid pharmacists, including risk factors for opioid abuse, how to
identify symptoms of an overdose and what to do in the event of an
overdose, an overview of the various naloxone therapies available
and proper administration of each and recommendations for follow-up
care.
- Participation in prescription drug
monitoring programs including a “red flag” process for pharmacists
to regularly review prescriptions for patients not known by the
pharmacy or where there may be concerns or suspicions of
misuse.
- The addition of resources on drug
safety and disposal on www.riteaid.com. Visitors can search for a
disposal site in their community, learn how to properly dispose of
medication at home, access resources provided by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
and find information on treatment for drug abuse and
addiction.
Rite Aid’s pharmacy benefits management company,
EnvisionRxOptions, currently utilizes a variety of customized
opioid management solutions. Last week, its pharmacy benefit
manager, EnvisionRx, announced enhancements to its
comprehensive opioid and pain management program, EnvisionCare Pain
Management. Available immediately, the program, includes
pre-emptive prescription strategies, such as limiting first-time
fills to seven days*, prior authorizations on certain medications,
and shortened windows to refill prescriptions. This comprehensive
program aligns with the healthcare company’s overall pain
management strategy, as well as the guidelines set by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Added Konrad, “Rite Aid remains steadfast in its commitment to
address opioid abuse in the communities we serve and we will
continue to explore additional ways to further enhance our efforts
to address this serious public health issue.”
In addition to the efforts taken by the Company, The Rite Aid
Foundation is also addressing the issue of drug abuse and misuse as
part of its commitment to creating safe and healthy environments
for children and teens.
The Rite Aid Foundation’s KidCents program recently announced a
three-year, $1.125 million commitment to EverFi, the nation's
leading technology innovator, to bring the Prescription Drug Safety
program to high schools in markets served by Rite Aid. The program
uses an evidence-based, public health approach to empower high
school students with the skills and knowledge they need to make
safe and healthy decisions about prescription drugs.
The Foundation also continues to expand its KidCents Safe
Medication Disposal Program. Launched in September 2017, the
program provides law enforcement agencies in communities served by
Rite Aid with free medication disposal units for individuals to
safely dispose of expired or unwanted prescription and
over-the-counter medications. As of this month, more than 165 law
enforcement agencies across the country participate in the KidCents
Safe Medication Disposal Program, with nearly 270 units available
in 18 states.
Rite Aid Corporation is one of the nation's leading drugstore
chains with fiscal 2018 annual revenues of $21.5 billion.
Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and
press releases, is available through the company's website
at www.riteaid.com.
Headquartered in Sanford, North Carolina, DisposeRx, Inc. is
spearheading programs to educate communities with practical,
convenient, inexpensive and safe medication disposing solutions,
thus preventing drug addictions, overdoses, deaths and
environmental pollution. DisposeRx, Inc. believes in safe
environments, with a goal to stop the nation’s opioid epidemic that
often begins in the home medicine cabinet. Further, drugs treated
with DisposeRx, when discarded in the trash, rapidly biodegrade in
landfills and do not pollute water supplies. DisposeRx, Inc.
enables the distribution of its first-in-class drug disposal
product through local and regional outreach programs with
pharmacies, hospitals, hospices, community groups, law enforcement
and correctional facilities and retailers and wholesalers
nationwide. For more information visit www.disposerx.com.
* Member requested adjustments to this days’ supply limitation
are subject to prescriber review and direction through the prior
authorization process.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180521005532/en/
MEDIA:Rite AidAshley Flower, 717-975-5718
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