Medical City Healthcare hospitals are hosting six drug take back events to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and proper disposal of medications on Saturday, October 23. The “Crush the Crisis” events align with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and enable community members to safely and anonymously dispose of unused or expired prescription or over-the-counter medications.
Community members are invited to safely and anonymously dispose of medications at drive-through locations on October 23 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at:
- Medical City Arlington (Main entrance)
3301 Matlock Road, Arlington, TX 76015 - Medical City Dallas (Building A2 entrance)
7777 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230 - Medical City Denton (Professional building entrance)
3537 S. I-35E, Denton, TX 76210 - Medical City Frisco (Main entrance)
5500 Frisco Square Blvd, Frisco, TX 75034 - Medical City Las Colinas (Main entrance)
6800 N. MacArthur Blvd, Irving, TX 75039 - Medical City North Hills (Outpatient surgery entrance)
4401 Booth Calloway Rd, North Richland Hills, TX 76180
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 81,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the year ending in May 2020, the highest number recorded in a 12-month period. Experts suggest the acceleration in overdose deaths might be due to stressors related to the disruptions in daily life due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 1 in 5 Texans has experienced an opioid overdose, or knows someone who has, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which has launched a statewide public health effort.
“Opioid addiction is a national health crisis and it is imperative that we get unused pain medications out of homes where they can more easily end up in the wrong hands,” says Joseph Parra, MD, chief medical officer at Medical City Healthcare. “We invite our North Texas community to clean out their cabinets and dispose of those unused medications at one of our ‘Crush the Crisis’ events to help reduce the serious threat of opioid misuse.”
Law enforcement officers from the Arlington, Dallas, Denton, Frisco, Irving and North Richland Hills Police Departments will be on-site to collect any unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications. Needles, syringes, lancets, inhalers or liquids will not be accepted. COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place at Medical City Healthcare hospital drive-through collections, including masking and social distancing.
Medical City Healthcare is participating as part of HCA Healthcare’s third annual national “Crush the Crisis” drug take back day. In October 2020, 95 HCA Healthcare facilities in 18 states collected 13,523 pounds of unused and expired medications at “Crush the Crisis” events across the country. Medical City Healthcare hospitals collected 2,100 pounds of medications over the past year at both the drug take back event and from permanent drug take back boxes located at 12 Medical City Healthcare hospitals. The permanent boxes, which are compliant with DEA regulations, can be accessed free of charge, any day of the year – not just on a specific drug take back day.
To further help combat the nation’s opioid crisis, HCA Healthcare, the parent company of Medical City Healthcare, proudly partners with and provides clinical insight to the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. HCA Healthcare has committed $750,000 to the Collaborative to support the development of safer pain management protocols and reversal of the opioid crisis.
As a learning health system, HCA Healthcare uses data from approximately 32 million annual patient encounters to help continuously improve care. The organization uses the science of “big data” to reduce opioid misuse and transform pain management, with initiatives in surgical, emergency and other care settings.
To learn more about Medical City Healthcare’s Drug Take Back Day on October 23 or to find the location of a permanent drug take back box that is part of Medical City Healthcare’s ongoing efforts to “Crush the Crisis,” visit: https://medicalcityhealthcare.com/DrugTakeBack or call the toll free number at (833) 582-1970.
