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CINCINNATI — Kroger Co. and the Cardinal Health Foundation Tuesday 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.
