Cordant Health Solutions' Take-Back Program Helps to Remove Potentially Harmful Medications From Homes

DENVER, Oct. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cordant Health Solutions^®, a leader in providing innovative tools for monitoring patients in behavioral health programs, announced that, along with its partners, it has safely removed and disposed of more than 386,000 pills (or 425 pounds) of unused, unwanted or expired medications, keeping them out of the hands of anyone who might misuse or abuse them.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many prescription medications are associated with overdose deaths, including opioids prescribed for pain, benzodiazepines to treat anxiety and insomnia, and stimulants such as ADHD medicines.

"According to a 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from a friend, family member or home medication cabinet," said Sue Sommer, CEO and president of Cordant. "Now more than ever, when many families are confined to their homes, we need to make sure we clean out our cabinets and remove any harmful and addictive medications."

The American Medical Association (AMA) highlighted the growth of drug-overdose deaths in its most recent issue brief. Its findings correspond with the preliminary data from the CDC indicating overdose deaths rose by 4.6% in 2019 and continue to grow. This year, 37 states have reported drug overdose deaths increasing or, at best, unchanged compared with 2018.

To reduce this health risk, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will host its next Take Back Day on Oct. 24, 2020, with collection sites located throughout the country. The DEA sponsors a take-back day twice each year, where anyone can drop off medications for disposal, no questions asked.

Cordant supports the effort to reduce the potential for medication misuse and abuse with its ongoing take-back program. Pre-paid take-back envelopes are available through participating Cordant addiction treatment partners and at Cordant pharmacies. The program allows patients to safely and conveniently dispose of their unused medications, including controlled substances Schedules II–V, through the USPS for free.

The DEA lists its collection locations at DEATakeBack.com, where it notes that locations may be limited this fall. Year-round collection locations can be found here. 

About Cordant Health Solutions^®

Cordant Health Solutions^® (cordantsolutions.com) provides innovative tools for monitoring behavioral health, chronic pain and criminal justice cases. Cordant's unique pharmacy and drug testing programs provide accurate, actionable results to protect prescribers, hold patients accountable and optimize quality of life.

A leader in quality standards, Cordant provides solutions for payers, clinicians and organizations involved with substance use disorder, pain management and criminal justice agencies. Cordant is one of the only healthcare companies that offers monitoring and risk assessment tools through its innovative drug testing options and full-service, high-touch pharmacies, which specialize in the management and dispensing of addiction treatment medications. Cordant's testing protocols and digital case-management tools help clients become more efficient and effective in using drug testing programs to monitor patient adherence, reduce risk and improve patient outcomes.

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