CVS Health expands Ohio medication disposal
Twenty-eight CVS Pharmacy locations in the Buckeye State will be home to medication disposal units as part of CVS Health’s efforts to facilitate easy disposal of unused medication, CVS health announced Thursday. The 28 units are being rolled out alongside an $85,000 commitment from the CVS Health Foundation to Cleveland’s Neighborhood Family Practice — a network of community health centers supporting opioid addiction recovery.
‘CVS Health is dedicated to addressing and preventing opioid abuse and misuse in the communities we serve,” said Thomas Davis CVS Health vice president of professional services. “We are expanding our safe medication disposal efforts to provide more locations where people can safely dispose of unwanted medications, getting them out of medicine cabinets where they could be abused. Our safe medication disposal initiative, and our funding for community organizations supporting addiction recovery in Ohio, are an extension of CVS Health's purpose of helping people on their path to better health.”
The new units supplement the 33 units CVS Health has previously donated to police departments statewide. Its donated units to police departments, which now number more than 850, have collected 140 tons of unwanted medication. The company also has rolled out medication disposal kiosks to 750 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide as part of the company’s opioid abuse prevention strategy announced in September.
The grant for Neighborhood Family Practice will support enhanced screening for substance use disorders, as well as a partnership with a substance use disorder treatment center that will allow the organization to refer patients who require treatment after screening.
“The funding we've received from the CVS Health Foundation is allowing us to provide essential integrated substance use prevention and treatment services to individuals with low income and lack of access to care,” said Jean Polster, Neighborhood Family Practice president and CEO. “Through this support, we are better able address the opioid epidemic in Ohio, which is critical to delivering a healthier community.”
The disposal units and grant also supplement CVS Health’s Pharmacists Teach program, which has reached nearly 14,000 Ohio teens with its curriculum about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs, the company said.
‘CVS Health is dedicated to addressing and preventing opioid abuse and misuse in the communities we serve,” said Thomas Davis CVS Health vice president of professional services. “We are expanding our safe medication disposal efforts to provide more locations where people can safely dispose of unwanted medications, getting them out of medicine cabinets where they could be abused. Our safe medication disposal initiative, and our funding for community organizations supporting addiction recovery in Ohio, are an extension of CVS Health's purpose of helping people on their path to better health.”
The new units supplement the 33 units CVS Health has previously donated to police departments statewide. Its donated units to police departments, which now number more than 850, have collected 140 tons of unwanted medication. The company also has rolled out medication disposal kiosks to 750 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide as part of the company’s opioid abuse prevention strategy announced in September.
The grant for Neighborhood Family Practice will support enhanced screening for substance use disorders, as well as a partnership with a substance use disorder treatment center that will allow the organization to refer patients who require treatment after screening.
“The funding we've received from the CVS Health Foundation is allowing us to provide essential integrated substance use prevention and treatment services to individuals with low income and lack of access to care,” said Jean Polster, Neighborhood Family Practice president and CEO. “Through this support, we are better able address the opioid epidemic in Ohio, which is critical to delivering a healthier community.”
The disposal units and grant also supplement CVS Health’s Pharmacists Teach program, which has reached nearly 14,000 Ohio teens with its curriculum about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs, the company said.