CVS Health Expands Safe Drug Disposal at CVS Pharmacy Locations in Ohio to Help Combat Opioid Abuse

WOONSOCKET, R.I., April 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) announced today that the company has expanded its safe medication disposal program to locations inside 28 CVS Pharmacy locations in Ohio to help facilitate proper and timely disposal of opioids and other medications that could otherwise be diverted or misused.  The CVS Health Foundation will also provide an $85,000 grant to Cleveland's Neighborhood Family Practice, a network of community health centers, to support opioid addiction recovery.

"CVS Health is dedicated to addressing and preventing opioid abuse and misuse in the communities we serve," said Thomas G.  Davis, R.Ph., Vice President of Professional Services for CVS Health. "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 28 new medication disposal units that have been installed inside CVS Pharmacy locations in Ohio will supplement the 33 units CVS Health has previously donated to police departments across the state.  Nationwide, the company has donated more than 850 units to police departments, collecting more than 140 metric tons, or 300,000 pounds of unwanted medication. 

The $85,000 grant being awarded to Neighborhood Family Practice in Cleveland is another part of CVS Health's focus on preventing and addressing opioid abuse.  Neighborhood Health Care will use these additional resources to enhance screening for substance use disorders and to enter into a comprehensive partnership with a substance use disorder treatment center, allowing appropriate referral for all patients identified as needing services following 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's 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 expansion of safe medication disposal to a total of 750 CVS Pharmacy locations across the U.S. was included among the enhancements to the company's strategy to address and prevent opioid abuse announced in September 2017.  As part of that effort, the company also said it would enhance opioid utilization management aligned with CDC Guideline for CVS Caremark clients and members, complementing measures already in place.  This work builds on ongoing programs the company operates including the Pharmacists Teach program, which brings CVS Pharmacists to local schools to talk to teens and parents about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs.  More than 300,000 teens nationally – including nearly 14,000 in Ohio – have already participated in the program.  CVS Health has also worked to expand access to the opioid overdose-reversal drug naloxone in 46 states, including Ohio.        

The 28 new medication disposal units are located at the following CVS Pharmacy locations:

About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,800 retail locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with more than 94 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, expanding specialty pharmacy services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, the company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at www.cvshealth.com.

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SOURCE CVS Health