Nationwide Drug Take-Back Programs Fight Opioid Epidemic, Remove Temptations From the Home
DENVER, April 25, 2018 (Newswire.com) - Cordant Health Solutions, a leading provider of innovative monitoring tools for behavioral health and chronic pain organizations, sponsors its own easy-to-use, year-round prescription take-back program. Cordant partners with healthcare providers, substance use disorder treatment centers and hospitals to offer this service, which allows patients to safely and conveniently return unused prescribed medication for legal disposal.
The Drug Enforcement Administration's National Drug Take-Back Day is April 28, 2018. Take-back programs are key opportunities to appropriately dispose of unwanted prescription medications and avoid medication theft or temptation of teens, especially since 62 percent of teens who have taken a prescription medication for a non-medical reason said they did so because it was easy to get from their parents’ medicine cabinets.
Removing access to unneeded prescriptions is a key part of reducing the number of opioid overdoses. Unused and expired medications pose a real opportunity to those seeking to use them illegally. Our collection kits help physicians educate their patients on the importance of preventing access to these potentially addictive drugs.
Sue Sommer, President and CEO of Cordant
Cordant’s Prescription Take-Back Program has destroyed an estimated 88,200 doses, or about 98 pounds, of unused or expired medications that might have stayed in home medicine cabinets to potentially be misused.
“Removing access to unneeded prescriptions is a key part of reducing the number of opioid overdoses,” said Sue Sommer, president and CEO of Cordant. “Unused and expired medications pose a real opportunity to those seeking to use them illegally. Our collection kits help physicians educate their patients on the importance of preventing access to these potentially addictive drugs.”
A recent statement by the U.S. Surgeon General cited that 115 Americans die each day related to an opioid overdose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that drug overdose is now the leading cause of injury death in the United States.
Cordant’s Prescription Take-Back Program, takebackprogram.org, allows patients to place their unused drugs in nondescript take-back envelopes with prepaid mailing labels and deposit in any U.S. Postal Service mailbox. The program is compliant with the requirements of the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act.
“We encourage everyone to learn more about how to minimize the dangers of unused or expired medications in their home and to take part in the national drug take-back day,” said Sommer.
To find a location near you for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, visit https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/.
About Cordant
Based in Denver, Cordant Health Solutions™ (www.cordantsolutions.com) provides innovative tools for monitoring behavioral health, chronic pain and criminal justice cases. Our unique pharmacy and drug-testing programs provide accurate, actionable results to protect prescribers, hold patients accountable and optimize quality of life.
As a leader in quality standards, Cordant is committed to developing solutions for payers, clinicians and organizations involved with substance use disorder, pain management and criminal justice agencies. Cordant is one of the only healthcare companies that offers monitoring and risk-assessment tools through its innovative drug-testing options and full-service, high-touch pharmacies, which specialize in the complex management and dispensing of controlled substances. Cordant’s testing protocols and digital case-management tools help clients become more efficient and effective in using drug-testing programs to monitor patient adherence, reduce risk and improve patient outcomes.
Media Contact
Tiffany Tuetken
303-570-4585
ttuetken@cordanths.com
Source: Cordant Health Solutions
