Walgreens recently announced that 45 of its locations in Illinois have installed drug take-back kiosks as part of the company’s safe medication disposal kiosk program, designed to provide a safe, convenient means for prescription disposal.
“By making safe medication disposal kiosks available in select Illinois stores and expanding to other states this year, Walgreens is taking an important first step to help reduce the misuse of medications throughout the country,” Walgreens Boots Alliance co-CEO Alex Gourlay said. “We are committed to doing our part in not only our home state, but other states as well, and being part of a comprehensive solution to reverse this epidemic.”
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) agreed, saying many parties must combat opioid abuse.
“Combating the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic will
require an all-hands-on-deck solution,” Durbin said. “That’s
why I commend Walgreens for its proactive commitment to get addictive pills out
of our medicine cabinets when they are no longer needed. With four out of five
new heroin users starting off by misusing prescription opioids, we must do more
to prevent addiction before it takes hold. I urge other stakeholders, from drug
companies to state and federal agencies, to take responsibility and do their
part to address opioid addiction and save lives.”
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