VIable

NDHI
NAT IONAL DIALOGUE FOR
Healthcare Innovation
Safe Medication Disposal
Kiosk Program
Organization Overview
• Walgreens is one of the nation’s largest drugstore
chains, with over 8,200 locations in the U.S.
• Walgreens offers store locations within five miles
of 75% of Americans
Background
Prescription drug abuse is a widespread and growing
safety risk. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health
estimated 6.5 million Americans misused a prescription
drug in 2014, while the Center for Disease Control
and Prevention reported nearly 50,000 prescription
and illicit drug overdose deaths in the same year ─ a
140% increase since 2000.
Walgreens has collaborated with federal, state, and
local policymakers to identify and help implement solutions
to prevent drug abuse. One such initiative is the
implementation of a drug disposal program. Walgreens
has installed safe medication disposal kiosks in select
stores to enable easy, convenient, and anonymous
disposal of unwanted medications.
Program Details
• To ensure safe disposal of medications, Walgreens
launched a voluntary Safe Medication Disposal
Kiosk Program in 2016
• By the end of 2016, Walgreens expects to have
installed kiosks in over 500 pharmacies in 39 states
and Washington, D.C.
• Customers can dispose of any unwanted prescriptions,
including controlled substances
• The receptacles will be available for safe medication
disposal during regular pharmacy hours, and
many of the pharmacies are open 24 hours a day
Value Delivered
• Most people who abuse prescription drugs obtain
them first from family members or friends, often
from medicine cabinets
• Safe medication disposal kiosks reduce exposure
to unnecessary, unused medications, decreasing
the likelihood of drug abuse
Path Forward
Current regulations prevent Walgreens from installing
medication disposal kiosks in certain states. Walgreens
encourages lawmakers to remove barriers to
the implementation of voluntary statewide medication
disposal programs.
Walgreens is also developing other programs to combat
drug abuse and overdose deaths. Starting in 2016,
naloxone, a lifesaving opioid antidote, will be available
without prescription at all Walgreens pharmacies in 35
states and Washington, D.C. Eventually, the product
will be available in more than 5,800 Walgreens stores.
In states where naloxone requires a prescription,
Walgreens invites regulators to help reform policy to
enable this drug to be dispensed without a prescription.
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