WATERLOO POLICE DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE ACCESS TO SAFE MEDICATION DISPOSAL WITH DRUG COLLECTION UNIT DONATED BY CVS HEALTH
Joint effort by CVS Health and Partnership for Drug-Free Kids aims to combat drug abuse, encourage safe drug disposal in local communities
Waterloo, NY, June 26th, 2019 — Waterloo Police Department announced today it has been awarded a grant for a drug collection unit as part of CVS Health’s Medication Disposal for Safer Communities Program. The new unit will be located at the front lobby of the Waterloo Police Department, 41 W. Main St Waterloo, NY, and will provide residents with a safe and environmentally responsible way to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired medication, including controlled substances.
“CVS Health is dedicated to helping the communities we serve address and prevent prescription drug abuse,” said Tom Davis, R.Ph., Vice President of Pharmacy Professional Services at CVS Health. “Reducing the amount of unused and unwanted medication in the home is critical to preventing prescription drug abuse. We are proud to work with the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and local leaders to increase convenient access to safe medication disposal.”
The new drug disposal unit will help to reduce the amount of unneeded medicine in residents’ homes and decrease the potential for prescription drug abuse, which has soared in recent years, especially among teenagers. More than 70 percent of teenagers say it is easy to get prescription drugs from their parents’ medicine cabinets, according to a Partnership for Drug-Free Kids study. Proper drug disposal also helps to prevent the contamination of local landfills and water supplies from unused medication.
“Safely disposing of unused medication is critical to preventing prescription drug abuse and keeping pharmaceuticals out of our waterways,” said Chief Jason Godley. “The Waterloo Police Department is proud to partner with CVS Health and we thank them for their commitment to helping residents reduce the amount of unneeded medicine in our community.
Since 2014, CVS Health has been encouraging safe medication disposal by donating safe medication disposal units to local law enforcement. To help make year-round disposal options more accessible, CVS Pharmacy has installed safe medication disposal units in more than 1,000 CVS Pharmacy locations across the country and has donated 950 additional units to community locations such as police departments. Together, these units have collected more than 324 metric tons, or 715,000 pounds, of unwanted medication that might otherwise have been diverted, misused or ended up in our water supplies.
The Medication Disposal for Safer Communities program builds on CVS Health’s overall commitment to help communities address and prevent drug abuse, including through education and prevention. Launched in 2015, CVS Health’s Pharmacists Teach program gives its pharmacists the opportunity to volunteer to speak to students at local schools about the dangers of drug abuse. Nearly 475,000 students have already benefitted from the program. CVS Pharmacy’s website also provides patients with resources to prevent prescription drug abuse and ensure safe use of medication.
Waterloo, NY’s new Drug Collection Unit site is open to the public from the hours of 8:30AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Friday and drugs can be dropped off with no questions asked. Waterloo, NY residents and CVS Pharmacy customers can also inquire about the Medication Disposal for Safer Communities Program at the toll free phone number 1-866-559-8830 or visit http://www.cvs saudemasculina.pt.com/content/prescription-drug-abuse.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is the nation’s premier health innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Whether in one of its pharmacies or through its health services and plans, CVS Health is pioneering a bold new approach to total health by making quality care more affordable, accessible, simple and seamless. CVS Health is community-based and locally focused, engaging consumers with the care they need when and where they need it. The Company has more than 9,900 retail locations, approximately 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 92 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. CVS Health also serves an estimated 38 million people through traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including rapidly expanding Medicare Advantage offerings. This innovative health care 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 https://www.cvshealth.com.
Media Contact:
Mary Gattuso
Corporate Communications
(401) 770-9811
Mary.Gattuso@CVSHealth.com