CARDINAL HEALTH, INC. DUBLIN, Ohio, April 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardinal Health, as part of its Opioid Action Program, is pleased to donate more than 16,000 prepaid prescription medication disposal envelopes to the National Community Pharmacists Association Foundation for distribution to NCPA member pharmacies free of charge.
These prescription medication disposal envelopes, known as TakeAway Medication Recovery System™ Envelopes, are manufactured by Sharps Compliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: SMED), and have been in use for more than a decade to help patients safely and conveniently dispose of unused prescription drugs by securely mailing them to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-approved destruction facilities.
Steve Lawrence, Senior Vice President, Independent Sales, said, "Ensuring that individuals can safely and securely dispose of unused medications is critical to reducing opioid abuse and saving lives. For nearly a decade, Cardinal Health has invested in programs that provide communities with necessary tools to fight the opioid epidemic. We are pleased to work with the NCPA Foundation on this program as part of our Opioid Action Program."
Gerald Shapiro, NCPA Foundation president and owner of Uptown Drug and Gift Shop in Los Angeles said, "Our pharmacies are at the front lines of the opioid epidemic and this donation of medication disposal envelopes from Cardinal Health will help combat opioid misuse and abuse in communities across the country. We are proud to work with Cardinal Health to support its Opioid Action Program and ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic."
David Tusa, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sharps Compliance, Inc. commented, "We have long believed that one of the key elements to effectively addressing the opioid abuse problem is the safe, convenient and proper disposal of unused medications. We're very pleased to play a role in Cardinal Health's generous donation and applaud their commitment, and that of the NCPA Foundation, in taking substantive action to prevent the misuse of opioids."
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 54 percent of those who misused prescription painkillers obtained them from a friend or relative. The Geisinger Center for Health Research also found that only about 11 percent of unused medication is disposed of properly. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recommends improved consumer access to convenient and year-round drug take-back opportunities, to reduce the amount of unused medications available for misuse.
Sharps Compliance Inc., supplies its TakeAway Medication Recovery System disposal envelopes to participating pharmacies across the U.S. Customers simply put their unused medications in the envelope and drop it in any mailbox. The company also supplies the envelopes to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, to offer those veterans who have unused prescription drugs a safe and reliable method for disposal.
Since the launch of its Opioid Action Program, Cardinal Health has partnered with organizations across the country to further its commitment to bring new resources to hard-hit communities to help fight the opioid epidemic.
About Cardinal Health's Opioid Action Program
In 2017, Cardinal Health launched the Opioid Action Program, a pilot program aimed at helping communities in across the Appalachian region, including in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia, four of the nation's hardest-hit states. The program delivers much needed front-line tools to help prevent opioid abuse and support communities, schools and first responders. The Opioid Action Program also builds on Generation Rx, the prescription drug misuse prevention program created in 2009 through a partnership of the Cardinal Health Foundation and the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. For more information, please visit www.cardinalhealth.com/opioidactionprogram.
About Cardinal Health
Cardinal Health, Inc. is a global, integrated healthcare services and products company, providing customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and physician offices worldwide. The company provides clinically proven medical products and pharmaceuticals and cost-effective solutions that enhance supply chain efficiency from hospital to home. Cardinal Health connects patients, providers, payers, pharmacists and manufacturers for integrated care coordination and better patient management. Because Cardinal Health helps ensure pharmacists and the consumers they serve have access to medications they need while working to help prevent prescription drug diversion, the company and its education partners created Generation Rx, a national program to help prevent the misuse of prescription medications. Cardinal Health is backed by nearly 100 years of experience, with approximately 50,000 employees in nearly 60 countries. For more information, visit cardinalhealth.com, follow @CardinalHealth on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/ company/cardinal-health.
About the National Community Pharmacist Association Foundation in Virginia
The NCPA Foundation is a nonprofit, philanthropic 501(c)(3) organization established in 1953. The foundation is completely autonomous and relies on external support from individuals and corporations to maintain its far-reaching programs—including those that help develop the future leaders and entrepreneurs of the community pharmacy profession. There is no other foundation in the United States solely dedicated to research, education and public outreach on behalf of independent community pharmacy. The NCPA Foundation advances independent community pharmacy through scholarships to pharmacy students, research/programs to improve the success of independent pharmacy and patient care, community health awareness programs, and aid to community pharmacy owners for their recovery in the event of disaster or other adverse circumstances. For more information please visit: https://www.ncpafoundation.org/
About Sharps Compliance
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Sharps Compliance is a leading full-service national provider of comprehensive waste management services including medical, pharmaceutical and hazardous. Sharps also provides two simple solutions for safe and easy disposal of unused medications: MedSafe collection receptacles and TakeAway Medication Recovery System envelopes. Since 2009, Sharps' solutions have facilitated the proper destruction of more than 2 million pounds of unused medications. More information on the Company and its products can be found on its website at: www.sharpsinc.com.
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SOURCE Cardinal Health
