Kroger, Meijer to Participate in Drug Take Back Day
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is slated for Saturday, Oct. 26, and some grocers are participating in the event. The Kroger Co. and the Cardinal Health Foundation are bringing local law enforcement officers on site at 235 Kroger family pharmacies to accept any unused or expired prescription drugs, while Meijer is encouraging shoppers to use the identifiable kiosks at 246 pharmacy locations to dispose of these drugs.
This is the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's 18th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, with events happening twice a year. The last event, hosted in April 2019, resulted in 468.72 tons of prescription drugs collected at 6,258 sites, with 4,969 law enforcement officers participating.
"Kroger is committed to being a part of the solution to combat America's opioid and prescription drug misuse epidemic. Our semi-annual drug take back event – hosted in partnership with the Cardinal Health Foundation – is just one more way Kroger is addressing the crisis at both a grass-roots level and national scale and helping people live healthier lives," said Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health. "According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, unused or expired prescription drugs have become a public safety issue in the U.S., leading to accidental poisoning, misuse and overdose. The public drug take back events provide individuals with safe, convenient and anonymous locations to properly dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs within their local communities."
In addition to accepting unwanted or expired prescription drugs, Kroger will share Generation Rx materials about using medications safely. Generation Rx is an evidence-informed prevention education program created a decade ago through a partnership between the Cardinal Health Foundation and The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy.
Beyond the event on Oct. 26, Meijer customers can access kiosks for disposal year-round during normal pharmacy hours.
"Having a safe and easy way to clean out our medicine cabinets and drawers is the best way to keep unused prescription drugs from finding their way into the wrong hands," said Jason Beauch, VP of Meijer Pharmacy. "If you live near any Meijer store in the Midwest, then you have a convenient way to properly dispose of any unwanted or expired drugs, removing the risk of unforeseen accidents in your home. This weekend is a great example of the community coming together to help keep our families and neighbors safe from potential public health hazards."
Meijer operates more than 245 supercenters and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. The privately owned, family-operated company is No. 7 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.
Employing nearly half a million associates who serve more than 11 million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,761 retail food stores under a variety of banners, Cincinnati-based Kroger is No. 2 on the Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.
