The Cardinal Health Foundation and Kroger Co-host Nationwide Drug Take-Back Events on April 27

DUBLIN, Ohio, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cardinal Health Foundation and Kroger will host drug take-back events at more than 200 local pharmacy locations across the country from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2019 as part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The event provides a safe, convenient and anonymous way for customers to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs.

You can find drug take-back locations at one of the links below:

• Kroger take-back locations
• Harris Teeter take-back locations
• Ralphs take-back locations

Local law enforcement officers will be onsite to help participants securely dispose of their medications. Kroger pharmacy associates will offer free DisposeRx® at-home medication disposal packets.

According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 53% of those who misused prescription pain medications obtained them from a friend or relative^[1]. Kroger and Cardinal Health have been deeply committed to finding and supporting solutions to prescription drug misuse for many years.

"The Cardinal Health Foundation is proud to continue our partnership with Kroger to host annual drug take-back events across the country in order to help local communities dispose of unused or expired medications," said Jessie Cannon, vice president of Community Relations at Cardinal Health. "These events provide an opportunity to shine a light on the importance of using—and disposing of—medications safely. For a decade, we've been educating people all across the country on safe medication practices with Generation Rx, the prevention education program created by the Cardinal Health Foundation and The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, and through the Opioid Action Program."

 Generation Rx has four critically important medication safety principles:

• Only use prescription medications as directed by a health professional
• Never share your prescription medications with others or use someone else's prescription medications
• Always store your medications securely to prevent others from taking them, and properly dispose of medications that you no longer need
• Be a good example to those around you by modeling these safe medication-taking practices and discussing the dangers of misusing prescription drugs with your family, friends, colleagues, students or patients

"The April 27 take-back event, which provides a safe and convenient way for our customers to dispose of their unused or expired medications, is just one step of our comprehensive commitment to help the communities we call home combat the opioid epidemic," said Colleen Lindholz, Kroger's president of pharmacy and The Little Clinic. "We offer naloxone, the life-saving medication to help rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, as well as free DisposeRx® for customers of qualifying medications to keep unused drugs from being used improperly."

The Cardinal Health Foundation has supported take-back events at Kroger locations for several years. In 2018, collection events hosted by Kroger and Cardinal Health resulted in the safe disposal of more than 40,000 pounds of unused prescription drugs.

About Kroger:
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are nearly half a million associates who serve nine million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

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, pharmaceuticals and cost-effective solutions that enhance supply chain efficiency from hospital to home. To help combat prescription drug misuse, the company and its education partners created Generation Rx, a national drug education and awareness program. Backed by nearly 100 years of experience, with approximately 50,000 employees in nearly 46 countries, Cardinal Health ranks #14 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit cardinalhealth.com, follow @CardinalHealth on Twitter, @cardinalhealthwings on Facebook and connect on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/ company/cardinal-health.

[1] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Available online at:  https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/cbhsq-reports/NSDUHFFR2017/NSDUHFFR2017.pdf

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SOURCE Cardinal Health