[Pharmwaste] Walgreens Expands Medication Disposal To 1, 500 Stores In Opioid Battle

Wed Oct 4 10:31:55 EDT 2017

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2017/10/04/walgreens-expands-drug-disposal-to-1500-stores-in-opioid-battle/#f450c14336ea

This is wonderful news!  Location announcements will be forth coming according to Walgreens.   Heidi
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Pharma & Healthcare<https://www.forbes.com/healthcare> #PublicHealth<https://www.forbes.com/search/?substream=hashtags&q=PublicHealth>
Oct 4, 2017 @ 07:25 AM 365
Walgreens Expands Medication Disposal To 1,500 Stores In Opioid Battle
[https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/f1921ee47648baa1db60adbb72ba9cb3?s=62&d=mm&r=g]<https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/>
Bruce Japsen <https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/> , Contributor
I write about healthcare business and policy Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
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  *   Walgreens and its partners are working on a safe and effective medication supply chain<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fbrucejapsen%2F2017%2F10%2F04%2Fwalgreens-expands-drug-disposal-to-1500-stores-in-opioid-battle%2F&text=Walgreens%20and%20its%20partners%20are%20working%20on%20a%20safe%20and%20effective%20medication%20supply%20chain>
  *   Walgreens will add 900 additional kiosks over 10 months to its existing 600 safe medication disposal sites<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fbrucejapsen%2F2017%2F10%2F04%2Fwalgreens-expands-drug-disposal-to-1500-stores-in-opioid-battle%2F&text=Walgreens%20will%20add%20900%20additional%20kiosks%20over%2010%20months%20to%20its%20existing%20600%20safe%20medication%20disposal%20sites>
Walgreens Boots Alliance will expand the number of safe medication disposal kiosks across the country to 1,500 stores, specifically targeting locations near “military bases and other areas where the opioid epidemic has challenged communities,” the nation’s largest drugstore chain said Wednesday<http://news.walgreens.com/press-releases/general-news/amerisourcebergen-blue-cross-blue-shield-association-pfizer-and-prime-therapeutics-join-walgreens-to-combat-prescription-drug-abuse-by-expanding-safe-medication-disposal-program.htm>.
Walgreens is the latest healthcare company to step up efforts to combat the abuse and misuse of the overprescribed painkillers. Already, Walgreens rival CVS Health and several health insurance companies including Anthem, Cigna and UnitedHealth Group have increased restrictions to reduce the number of opioid prescriptions.
[https://blogs-images.forbes.com/brucejapsen/files/2017/10/WALGREENS_SafeMed-300x200.jpg?width=960]<https://blogs-images.forbes.com/brucejapsen/walgreens_safemed/>Walgreens photo

Walgreens Boots Alliance will expand by 900 the number of safe medication disposal kiosks across the country, specifically targeting stores near “military bases and other areas where the opioid epidemic has challenged communities,” the nation’s largest drugstore chain said. It will have 1,500 medication disposal kiosks within two years.
While the insurers and pharmacy benefit managers attack the opioid epidemic by analyzing claims and educating physician prescribers to make sure Americans are getting their medications in the right place, in the right amount and at the right time, Walgreens and its partners are working on a safe and effective medication supply chain<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fbrucejapsen%2F2017%2F10%2F04%2Fwalgreens-expands-drug-disposal-to-1500-stores-in-opioid-battle%2F&text=Walgreens%20and%20its%20partners%20are%20working%20on%20a%20safe%20and%20effective%20medication%20supply%20chain> .
Walgreens will add 900 additional kiosks over 10 months to its existing 600 safe medication disposal sites<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fbrucejapsen%2F2017%2F10%2F04%2Fwalgreens-expands-drug-disposal-to-1500-stores-in-opioid-battle%2F&text=Walgreens%20will%20add%20900%20additional%20kiosks%20over%2010%20months%20to%20its%20existing%20600%20safe%20medication%20disposal%20sites> . The effort is designed to “make it easier for people to dispose of their unwanted medications,” Walgreens president Alex Gourlay said.
Walgreens is working with drug wholesaler AmerisourceBergen, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, drug maker Pfizer and Prime Therapeutics, a pharmacy benefit manager owned by Blue Cross plans, which are helping sponsor the safe medication initiative.
Walgreens goal is to collect an additional 300 tons of “unwanted medications” in the next two years<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fbrucejapsen%2F2017%2F10%2F04%2Fwalgreens-expands-drug-disposal-to-1500-stores-in-opioid-battle%2F&text=Walgreens%20goal%20is%20to%20collect%20an%20additional%20300%20tons%20of%20%E2%80%9Cunwanted%20medications%E2%80%9D%20in%20the%20next%20two%20years> . Already, Walgreens 600 safe medication disposal kiosks have collected 155 tons of unwanted medications in the first year<https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fbrucejapsen%2F2017%2F10%2F04%2Fwalgreens-expands-drug-disposal-to-1500-stores-in-opioid-battle%2F&text=Walgreens%20600%20safe%20medication%20disposal%20kiosks%20have%20collected%20155%20tons%20of%20unwanted%20medications%20in%20the%20first%20year> and a half of the program.
 Heidi Sanborn | Executive Director
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C: (916) 217-1109 | heidi at nsaction.us<mailto:heidi at nsaction.us>

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