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OFFICE OF THE STATE'S ATTORNEY
LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
MICHAEL G. NERHEIM
STATE'S ATTORNEY
February 9, 2016
For Immediate Release
Contact: Emily Hartwig
847-315-3316
emily.hartwig@walgreens.com
Contact: Cynthia Vargas
(847) 377-3188
cvargas@lakecountyil.gov
Walgreens
Leads Fight Against Prescription Drug Abuse with New Programs to Help Curb
Misuse of Medications and the Rise in Overdose Deaths
Launch
of safe medication disposal program will install kiosks in more than 500 Walgreens
drugstores in 39
states and Washington, D.C.
Lifesaving
opioid antidote Naloxone to be made available without a prescription at
Walgreens pharmacies in 35 states and Washington, D.C.
Director
of National Drug Control Policy Michael Botticelli joins Walgreens for the
program launch
DEERFIELD, Ill., Feb.
9, 2016 – Walgreens today announced the
launch of a comprehensive new effort to combat drug abuse, introducing two
programs that address key contributors to the crisis.
In the first ongoing
national effort of its kind by a retailer, Walgreens will install safe
medication disposal kiosks in more than 500 drugstores in 39 states and
Washington, D.C., primarily at locations open 24 hours. A full listing of the
states to be included in the program is below. The program will make the
disposal of medications — including opioids and other controlled substances — easier
and more convenient while helping to reduce the misuse of medications and the
rise in overdose deaths.
Walgreens also will
make naloxone, a lifesaving opioid antidote, available without a prescription
at its pharmacies in 35 states and Washington, D.C., rolling out the program
state-by-state throughout this year. Naloxone can be used in the event of an
overdose to reverse the effects of heroin or other opioid drugs, and is
administered by injection or nasal spray. The medication became available
without a prescription last week at Walgreens pharmacies throughout the state
of New York and will be introduced without a prescription in Indiana and Ohio
later this month. A full listing of the states to be included in the program is
below. When implementation of the program is complete, naloxone will be
available without a prescription in more than 5,800 of Walgreens nearly 8,200
stores. In states where a prescription is required, Walgreens is available and
eager to work with regulators to help update rules to allow for dispensing of naloxone
without a prescription.
Walgreens will be
joined at today’s launch, held at its Washington, D.C. flagship store, by Director
of National Drug Control Policy for the White House Michael Botticelli. Also
joining Director Botticelli at the launch are special guests Sen. Mark Kirk
(R-Ill.); Rep. Bob Dold, (R-Ill. 10); Lou Milione, Deputy Assistant
Administrator for the Office of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement
Administration; and Michael Nerheim, Lake County, Ill. State’s Attorney, who will
share their support for the program.
The medication
disposal kiosks allow individuals to safely and conveniently dispose of their
unwanted, unused or expired prescriptions, including controlled substances, and
over-the-counter medications, at no cost. The kiosks at Walgreens pharmacies
will be available during regular pharmacy hours (24 hours a day at most of
these locations) and will offer one of the best ways to ensure medications are
not accidently used or intentionally misused by someone else. The initial
installation of the safe medication disposal kiosks has begun in California and
is expected to be completed at more than 500 Walgreens locations this year.
“Walgreens
pharmacists play an important role in counseling patients on the safe use of
their medications, and now we are leading the way in retail pharmacy’s fight
against prescription drug abuse,” said Richard Ashworth, Walgreens president of
pharmacy and retail operations. “We understand the challenges our communities
face, and we stand ready to help our patients and customers lead healthier
lives. When the stakes are this high, the solutions must be comprehensive.”
Prescription drug
abuse continues to be a public health and safety risk. According to the 2014 National
Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 6.5 million Americans misused a
prescription drug in 2014, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
reported a total of 47,055 drug overdose deaths, which include prescription and
illicit drugs, during the same year. That is a 6.5 percent increase from 2013
and a 140 percent increase since 2000. Most people who misuse prescription
drugs first obtain them from a family member or friend, often from a home
medicine cabinet.
“Providing safe and
convenient disposal options for prescription drugs and expanding access to the
lifesaving overdose-reversal drug naloxone are critical parts of our national
strategy to stop the prescription drug and heroin overdose epidemic, along with
effective enforcement, prevention and treatment,” said Director Botticelli.
“Today’s announcement builds on the public and private sector actions announced
by President Obama in October and demonstrates our strong commitment to
addressing the prescription drug abuse and heroin use epidemic as both a public
health and a public safety issue.”
"Prescription drug abuse is an epidemic among American teens. At the
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, we’re asking parents and grandparents to pledge
to safeguard their medicines and speak to their families about medicine abuse,”
said Marcia Lee Taylor, President and CEO of Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.
“The programs announced by Walgreens today will go a long way toward helping
put that pledge into practice.”
Walgreens also continues
to participate in U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sponsored National
Prescription Drug Take Back Days, serving as a collection point in communities for
law enforcement to collect unwanted, unused or expired medications for safe
disposal. The next DEA sponsored National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will
be held on April 30.
“I commend Walgreens
for stepping up to address the national epidemic of prescription drug abuse and
heroin overdose. Drug take-back programs and over the counter access to
naloxone are strong steps toward confronting this crisis and preventing further
tragedies like we see in Chicago’s suburbs where heroin is taking a life, on
average, every three days. My Anti-Heroin Task Force and I have been working to
get naloxone available over the counter for families struggling with addiction,
and now thanks to Walgreens Illinois is one of 35 states where families will be
able to purchase this life-saving drug without a prescription,” said Sen. Kirk.
“Nearly one-quarter
of people who try heroin become addicted, and their addiction frequently starts
with recreational use of the kind of drugs that people too often leave lying
around in medicine cabinets,” said Rep.
Dold. “But the statistics don’t even begin to tell the whole story. As a
co-chair of the Suburban Anti-Heroin Task Force in Illinois, I’ve seen
firsthand how these drugs destroy families. That’s why I’ve been working with
local leaders and businesses, such as Walgreens, to find common-sense solutions
to curb drug abuse, and in the coming days we’ll also be introducing new
legislation that will help save lives.”
“Take-back programs
are an important and easy way for the public to anonymously dispose of their
unwanted, unused or expired medications, and today’s announcement is a step in
the right direction,” said DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg. “We look
forward to the day when safe drug disposal options are commonplace and hope
this action inspires others to create similar programs.”
“Our office is
working tirelessly to increase awareness of the dangers of drug overdose in
Lake County,” said Nerheim, Lake County, Ill. State’s Attorney. “Now, Walgreens
is an important partner in helping to bring change to our community, one I’ve
called home my entire life.”
States
Included in Walgreens Safe Medication Disposal Kiosk Program
By the end of the
year, Walgreens will install safe medication disposal kiosks at more than 500
drugstores in the following states:
Alabama, Arizona,
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,
Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia,
Washington, Wisconsin
State specific regulations prevent Walgreens from
installing safe medication disposal kiosks at this time in certain states.
States
Included in Walgreens Naloxone Program
By the end of the
year, Walgreens will make naloxone available without a prescription at its
pharmacies in the following states[i]:
Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut,
District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin
About
Walgreens
Walgreens
(www.walgreens.com), one of the
nation's largest drugstore chains, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA
Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA), the first global
pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than 8 million customers
interact with Walgreens each day in communities across America, using the most
convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted,
cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens operates
8,173 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens digital business includes
Walgreens.com, drugstore.com, Beauty.com, SkinStore.com and VisionDirect.com.
Walgreens also manages more than 400 Healthcare Clinic and provider practice
locations around the country.
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[i] Montana
and South Dakota only allow naloxone to be dispensed without a prescription to
the patient.
Lake County State's Attorney's Office 18 N. County Street Waukegan, IL 60085 Phone: (847) 377-3000
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