Healthcare workers partner with local law enforcement to "Crush the Crisis"
Approximately 453 pounds, equivalent to 310,000+ doses, of unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications are now in the hands of North Port law enforcement officials for safe disposal. HCA Florida Englewood Hospital colleagues partnered with North Port police officers to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug misuse and provide an environmentally safe alternative to drug disposal in landfills or sewer systems.
Englewood, FL, (November 4, 2024) – Island Walk residential development resident Lori Binford visited the Crush the Crisis Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event to dispose of her medications safely.
She said, "I had a whole bag of old medications that I wanted to get rid of. People think they can flush them, and that's not a good idea. I was waiting for an event just like this because I had an experience with a remodeler who rummaged through our bathrooms while we were at work. It really opened my eyes to the need to dispose of medications rather than keep them."
Thanks to this year's event, approximately 453 pounds, equivalent to 310,000+ doses, of unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications are now in the hands of North Port law enforcement officials for safe disposal.
HCA Florida Englewood Hospital colleagues partnered with North Port police officers to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug misuse and provide an environmentally safe alternative to drug disposal in landfills or sewer systems. The event coincided with the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and offered the community an opportunity to dispose of medications safely and anonymously before they fall into the wrong hands.
Last year – for the first time since 2018 – there was a decrease in national drug overdose deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, prescription drug misuse remains a public health crisis in the United States. In 2022, opioid or drug overdose was the cause of 92 deaths in Charlotte County and 213 deaths in Sarasota County.
"We have made great strides in fighting the opioid crisis plaguing our country, but there is still work to be done," said Dr. Paul Chupka, chief medical officer of HCA Florida Englewood Hospital. "More than 70% of people who abuse prescription opioids get them from a friend or relative. Medications thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or sold illegally. Flushing them down the toilet poses a potential health and environmental hazard. This is a safe, convenient and responsible way for our community members to dispose of medications."
The North Port Police Department has a 24/7 drug disposal bin in the lobby of 4980 City Hall Blvd and another at the Public Safety building at 19955 Preto Boulevard, available Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
As a part of their commitment to combat prescription drug misuse, HCA Healthcare, the parent company of Englewood Hospital, has worked with the National Academy of Medicine's (NAM) Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic.
HCA Healthcare uses data from approximately 43 million annual patient encounters to help continuously improve care. The organization uses the science of "big data" to reduce prescription drug misuse and transform pain management, with initiatives in surgical, emergency and other care settings, including:
- Enhanced Surgical Recovery (ESR): a multi-modal approach to pain management using pre-, intra- and post-operative interventions to optimize outcomes. HCA Healthcare's ESR programs have significantly improved surgical recovery and patient satisfaction, including decreased opioid usage.
- Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS): aims to stem increasing rates of opioid-related addiction, misuse diversion and death by making it more difficult for medication-seekers to doctor-shop and alter prescriptions. Physicians have access to aggregated electronic health records, providing data that will allow them to prescribe opioids judiciously.
For community members in need of substance use disorder or addiction treatment to the National Substance Abuse and Mental Health Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357). It is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. Those needing assistance can also find treatment facilities confidentially and anonymously through the Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator.
For more information, visit hcahealthcare.com/crushthecrisis.