Displaying items by tag: prescription pills

On Wednesday, as part of International Overdose Awareness Day, Summit County Public Health hosted a press conference to announce the donation of 40,000 "pill pouches" to Summit County for people to dispose of their unused medications, primarily opiates. Summit County Community Partnership Executive Director Darryl Brake hosted the event, and explained that while Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals is based out of Missouri, one phone call was all it took to get the company to recognize the seriousness of the opiate addiction problem in Summit County and donate the bags. 

At the press conference, Kevin Webb, Director of Advocacy Relations for Mallinckrodt, explained that the prescription disposal bags would be available beginning Wednesday locally. As part of their efforts to help the situation locally, Acme Fresh Markets is making the bags available, at no charge, at all 16 of their locations throughout the area. 

Brake says if the bags are used as intended and filled to capacity, more than 1.3 million prescription pills will be disposed of properly, and taken off the streets and out of the hands of those who can easily misuse them.

Hear more from Kevin Webb from Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Summit County ADM Board Executive Director Jerry Craig. They discuss the new disposable pill pouches and the seriousness of the opioid addiction problem here locally: