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WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health has officially expanded its safe medication disposal kiosk program to CVS Pharmacy stores.
The company said new CVS drug disposal kiosks are now inside 750 CVS Pharmacy locations, adding to the 800-plus units that the company has donated to law enforcement nationwide, which have collected more than 100 metric tons of unwanted medication.
This week, CVS Health is launching its first disposal units at CVS Pharmacy stores in Wilmington, N.C., and Pittsburgh.
The expansion of the CVS medication disposal program marks the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 28, CVS said.
“Solving the opioid crisis will not be easy, and it will take the concerted effort of patients, providers, payors, pharmacies, advocacy organizations, elected officials and community leaders,” Thomas Moriarty, executive vice president, chief policy and external affairs officer, and general counsel at CVS Health, said in a statement. “Our safe medication disposal program is just one of the many initiatives we have undertaken to help prevent opioid abuse and drug addiction in our communities.”
CVS Health is unveiling its first disposal units inside CVS Pharmacy locations in Wilmington, North Carolina and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this week.
“The opioid crisis is tearing apart families all over North Carolina and this nation,” said Attorney General Josh Stein of North Carolina. “Safely disposing of unneeded medications is an important and simple step we can all take to keep these drugs out of the wrong hands. I applaud and thank CVS for making it easier for us to get rid of these dangerous and highly addictive drugs.”
The DEA began National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to provide the public with a safe, convenient means of disposing of prescription drugs and raise awareness of the potential for drug abuse and misuse. About 100 CVS drug stores will be among the the sites nationwide where law enforcement will hold a one-day event to collect unwanted prescription medicines. Patients can also find a participating return location with the DEA’s online finder tool.
“Eighty percent of heroin users start with a legal prescription drug,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro stated. “We appreciate this effort to end diversion of these highly addictive drugs.”
In tandem with law enforcement, CVS Health is highlighting proper medication disposal this week at the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office in Savannah, Ga., which has received CVS two medication disposal kiosks.
“The opioid epidemic is one of the greatest public health threats facing our country, one that took the lives of 982 Georgians just last year,” commented Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “It affects every state and has a devastating impact on our communities, tearing apart families and stretching the budgets of local law enforcement and first responders as they do the difficult work on the front lines. CVS Health is continuing to find innovative ways to help in this fight, and we are very grateful to have them as a partner in our drug take-back efforts in Georgia.”
