WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy has renewed its Medication Disposal for Safer Communities donation program to help promote the proper disposal of medicines.
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CVS Safer Communities drug collection unit. |
CVS said Thursday that its renewal, done in collaboration with The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, marks National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Sept. 27, when about 200 drug collection events will be held at CVS/pharmacy locations.
Via the Medication Disposal for Safer Communities donation program, local police departments can apply to receive a drug collection unit to help their communities safely discard of unwanted medications, including controlled substances. Launched last May, the program has awarded drug collection receptacles to more than 230 police departments nationwide.
"Police departments across the U.S. responded to our call for applications to receive a drug collection unit to help keep their communities safe and we are pleased to renew the program this fall," Josh Flum, senior vice president of retail pharmacy at CVS Health, said in a statement.
"A permanent drug disposal solution in our local police departments is a tangible symbol of our commitment to preventing prescription drug abuse," Flum added. "We look forward to continuing to partner with our local police through this donation program and through collection events at CVS/pharmacy locations on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day."
New applications for the drug collection units are now being accepted at CVS.com/safercommunities.
Besides its longtime support of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, established in 2010 by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), CVS is reviewing the new DEA rule effective this October that will expand the options people have to properly dispose of controlled-substance medications in order to determine how its pharmacies can participate.
"CVS Health is a steadfast sponsor of the Partnership’s national Medicine Abuse Project, and our partnership to provide permanent collection sites is yet another example of their commitment to ending teen medicine abuse," stated Steve Pasierb, President & CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. "This collaboration is already having an impact, adding much-needed and additional collection sites in communities nationwide, reducing the availability of prescription medicines that can be abused. We encourage local law enforcement agencies to apply for collection receptacles and everyone to properly dispose of unwanted medications by taking part in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day."
