CINCINNATI, Oct. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co.
(NYSE: KR) and the Cardinal Health Foundation today
announced the organizations are again partnering to host drug
take back events at 235 Kroger family of pharmacies locations
across 25 states from 10 a.m. –
2 p.m. (local time) on Saturday,
October 26—the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's
18th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
"Kroger is committed to being a part of the solution to combat
America's opioid and prescription drug misuse epidemic. Our
semi-annual drug take back event – hosted in partnership with the
Cardinal Health Foundation – is just one more way Kroger is
addressing the crisis at both a grassroots level and national scale
and helping people live healthier lives," said Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health.
"According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, unused or
expired prescription drugs have become a public safety issue in the
U.S., leading to accidental poisoning, misuse and overdose. The
public drug take back events provide individuals with safe,
convenient and anonymous locations to properly dispose of unused or
expired prescription drugs within their local communities."
During the events, local law enforcement officers will be on
site to accept unused or expired prescription drugs and electronic
vaping devices and cartridges. Signage in parking lots will direct
participants to drop-off areas, where Kroger pharmacy associates
will distribute free DisposeRx® at-home medication disposal packets
and share Generation Rx materials. Generation Rx, an
evidence-informed prevention education program created a decade ago
through a partnership between the Cardinal Health Foundation and
The Ohio State University College of
Pharmacy, offers age-appropriate resources to educate everyone, at
any age, about using medications safely.
"Proper disposal of unused prescription medication helps to keep
drugs out of the wrong hands," said Jessie
Cannon, Cardinal Health's Vice President of Community
Relations. "Safe disposal is one of the key medication safety
messages of our Generation Rx program—and the Cardinal Health
Foundation is pleased to again join Kroger in hosting drug take
back events."
In addition to the events, Kroger pharmacists are available
every day to educate customers about proper medication use and
disposal. Kroger pharmacies also offer naloxone – the life-saving
medication that helps rapidly reverse opioid overdose – and free
DisposeRx® at-home disposal packets for customers filling
qualifying medications.
The Cardinal Health Foundation has partnered with Kroger in
hosting drug take back events across America for several years. In
April 2019, events at more than 200
Kroger locations collected 25,453 pounds of unused prescription
drugs for safe disposal.
To view the list of Kroger and Cardinal Health Foundation's
participating drug take back locations, visit Kroger.com.
About The Kroger Co.
At The Kroger Co.
(NYSE: KR), we are 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 digital shopping experience and 2,759 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 the Cardinal Health Foundation
The Cardinal
Health Foundation is a private charitable organization created to
help build healthier, more equitable communities, where all people
have the opportunity to live healthy lives and share their
perspectives and experiences – communities where equity, diversity
and inclusion thrive.
The Foundation provides strategic investments to improve access
to quality physical and behavioral healthcare and supports
nonprofit partners who help impact social determinants of health in
underserved populations. We also work to fight prescription drug
misuse through our support of Generation Rx, a national
prescription medication education program created over a
decade ago with The Ohio State
University College of Pharmacy. And, through the Cardinal
Health Opioid Action Program, we support many other efforts to
reduce misuse, including collaboratives aimed at
reduced opioid prescribing and increased public awareness.
Finally, we support our employees' strong commitment to giving
back through volunteer service and donations. Each year,
$2 million of the Foundation's giving
matches employee donations and supports volunteer service.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.