While states ponder mandatory e-prescribing and hospitals flag medical records as a way to curb prescription drug abuse, pharmacy chains are trying to do their part. Walgreens is expanding its efforts into the biggest market of them all, California.
The drugstore giant announced Friday that it has installed kiosks in 50 stores across California for customers to dispose of expired, unwanted and unused medications, of both the prescription and over-the-counter varieties. Most of the stores with kiosks are open 24 hours a day, according to Deerfield, Illinois-based Walgreens.
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Walgreens is in the process of installing 500 medication disposal units at 500 pharmacies nationwide this year. “By making safe medication disposal kiosks available in select California stores and expanding to other states this year, Walgreens is taking an important first step to curb the misuse of medications throughout the country,” President Alex Gourlay said in a statement.
The chain also is fighting prescription drug abuse by making the opioid antidote naloxone available without a prescription in the 35 states — plus the District of Columbia — where the law allows. The drug is available over the counter at 1,300 Walgreens stores in Alabama, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, the company said, and California is next.
“Together, these programs will go a long way to help address the epidemic of prescription drug abuse and heroin overdose,” said Roberto Valencia, operations vice president for Walgreens’ Western Region.
Photo: Business Wire
