Hy-Vee's 270+ Pharmacies to Participate in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 24
April 23, 2021 | News & Press Releases
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (April 23, 2021) — Hy-Vee, Inc. announced today that all Hy-Vee Pharmacy locations throughout Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin will participate in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 24.
According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 87,200 people in the U.S. died from drug overdoses, primarily related to opioids, in a 12-month period from September 2019 to September 2020, with the largest increase in deaths occurring in April and May 2020 right after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Since 2019, drug take-back receptacles have been available inside all Hy-Vee Pharmacy locations year-round to provide customers a secure place to dispose of unused, unwanted or expired drugs in communities throughout the Midwest and remove them from the environment. To-date, Hy-Vee has collected more than 60,000 pounds of prescription drugs via its take-back receptacles.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Take-Back Day is a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription medications. The last Take-Back Day brought in more than 985,000 pounds of unused or expired prescription medication across the country.
According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2019, 9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives. The DEA’s Take-Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.
Hy-Vee also offers naloxone without a prescription in all eight states where it operates pharmacies: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Naloxone is available at Hy-Vee Pharmacy locations in nasal spray and injection forms (upon request. The drug is stored behind the counter and cost varies, depending on the form dispensed and whether a customer goes through his or her insurance, or pays cash.
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Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 275 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of $11 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee ranks in the Top 10 Most Trusted Brands and has been named one of America’s Top 5 favorite grocery stores. The company’s more than 88,000 employees provide “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle” to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.