THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT POLICE SERVICES PROVIDES INCREASED ACCESS TO SAFE MEDICATION DISPOSAL WITH ITS DRUG COLLECTION UNIT DONATED BY CVS HEALTH

Joint effort by CVS Health and Partnership for Drug-Free Kids aims to combat drug abuse, encourage safe drug disposal in local communities

BURLINGTON, VERMONT, October 18, 2018 — The University of Vermont Police Services announced it has been awarded a grant for a drug collection unit as part of CVS Health’s Medication Disposal for Safer Communities Program. The new unit will be located at 284 East Ave., Burlington, VT 05405 and will provide residents with a safe and environmentally responsible way to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired medication, including controlled substances.

“CVS Health is dedicated to helping the communities we serve address and prevent prescription drug abuse,” said Tom Davis, R.Ph., Vice President of Pharmacy Professional Services at CVS Health.  “Reducing the amount of unused and unwanted medication in the home is critical to preventing prescription drug abuse.  We are proud to work with the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and local leaders to increase convenient access to safe medication disposal.”  

The new drug disposal unit will help to reduce the amount of unneeded medicine in residents’ homes and decrease the potential for prescription drug abuse, which has soared in recent years, especially among teenagers. More than 70 percent of teenagers say it is easy to get prescription drugs from their parents’ medicine cabinets, according to a Partnership for Drug-Free Kids study.  Proper drug disposal also helps to prevent the contamination of local landfills and water supplies from unused medication.

The University of Vermont Police Services is proud to partner with CVS Health and we thank them for their commitment to helping residents reduce the amount of unneeded medicine in our community.

Since 2014, CVS Health has been encouraging safe medication disposal by donating safe medication disposal units to local law enforcement. This year, it expanded on those efforts by completing the installation of more than 750 safe medication disposal units in select CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide. Together, these units have collected more than 217 metric tons, or 480,000 pounds, of unwanted medication. CVS Pharmacy locations have also taken part in more than 800 events sponsored by local law enforcement as part of National Drug Take-Back Day.   

The Medication Disposal for Safer Communities program builds on CVS Health's overall commitment to help communities address and prevent drug abuse, including through education and prevention.  Launched in 2015, CVS Health's Pharmacists Teach program gives its pharmacists the opportunity to volunteer to speak to students at local schools about the dangers of drug abuse. More than 400,000 students have already benefitted from the program.  CVS Pharmacy’s website also provides patients with resources to prevent prescription drug abuse and ensure safe use of medication. 

The University of Vermont Police Services’ new Drug Collection Unit site is open to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and drugs can be dropped off with no questions asked. Burlington residents, UVM community members and CVS Pharmacy customers can also inquire about the Medication Disposal for Safer Communities Program at the toll free phone number 1-866-559-8830 or visit http://www.cvs.com/content/prescription-drug-abuse.

About CVS Health

CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,800 retail locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 94 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, expanding specialty pharmacy services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, the company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.

Media Contact:

Erin Britt
Corporate Communications
(401) 770-9237
Erin.Britt@CVSHealth.com

Mary Gattuso
Corporate Communications
(401) 770-9811
Mary.Gattuso@CVSHealth.com