UnitedHealthcare Donates Drug Disposal Kits to Local Health Clinics and Physicians to Help People Safely Dispose of Unused Opioids

DAYTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UnitedHealthcare is working with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and local care providers to confront the opioid epidemic by donating 10,000 opioid disposal kits to the Montgomery County Opiate Taskforce and Kettering Medical Center. The disposal kits offer people a convenient way to remove unused opioids from their homes and prevent their misuse or diversion. “All of the drug disposal kits donated today have the capability of destroying hundreds of thousands of prescription pills, which will stop the drugs from ever falling into the wrong hands,” said DeWine. “UnitedHealthcare’s commitment to making these kits available will help those on the front lines in Dayton.” Over 60 percent of Americans with leftover opioid medications keep them in their homes, and 70 percent of people misusing opioid painkillers first got them from family or friends. UnitedHealthcare is providing the opioid disposal kits as one way to promote the safe disposal of opioids and help prevent further deaths from these drugs. The kits were made possible thanks to a partnership with Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. “Our goal is to give residents a safe, environmentally responsible way to dispose of unused pain medication,” said Tracy Davidson, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio. “Safe disposal is critical to fighting the opioid epidemic in the Dayton community. Safe disposal is one important step in preventing opioids from being misused, and...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: News Administration and Leadership Source Type: news