Gateway Reporter

HCA Virginia Health System Hospitals are hosting their annual “Crush the Crisis” opioid take back day to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and proper disposal of medications. Community members are invited to safely and anonymously dispose of unused or expired prescription medications. The events, which align with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, will take place on Oct. 29, 2022 at the locations listed below.

In 2021, there were more than 107,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is a near 15 percent increase in drug related deaths from 2020.

“As a leading healthcare provider in Virginia, we believe it is vital to increase awareness of this important issue and offer our community a safe way to dispose of medications to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands,” said HCA Healthcare Capital Division vice president of quality Elizabeth Mikula.

Law enforcement officers will be collecting tablets, capsules and patches of Hydrocodone (Norco, Lortab, Vicodin), Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), Tramadol (Ultram), Codeine, Fentanyl (Duragesic), Morphine, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and Oxymorphone (Opana). Ointments, lotions, drops, liquid medication in leak-proof containers, vape cartridges without batteries and pet medication will also be accepted. Any medications will be accepted; however, needles, syringes, lancets or liquids will not be accepted.

HCA Virginia Health System facilities are participating as part of HCA Healthcare’s fourth annual national “Crush the Crisis” opioid take back day. In October 2021, 96 HCA Healthcare facilities in 17 states collected 15,566 pounds of unused and expired prescription medications at “Crush the Crisis” events.

As a part of their commitment to curb the opioid crisis, HCA Healthcare, the parent company of HCA Virginia Health System facilities, has worked with the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. HCA Healthcare has given $750,000 to the collaborative to support the development of safer pain management protocols and reversal of the opioid crisis.

As a learning health system, HCA Healthcare uses data from approximately 35 million annual patient encounters to help continuously improve care. The organization uses the science of “big data” to reduce opioid misuse and transform pain management, with initiatives in surgical, emergency and other care settings, including:

• Enhanced Surgical Recovery (ESR): a multi-modal approach to pain management using pre-, intra- and post-operative interventions to optimize outcomes. HCA Healthcare’s ESR programs have demonstrated significant improvements in surgical recovery and patient satisfaction, including decreases in opioid usage.
• Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS): aims to stem increasing rates of opioid-related addiction, misuse diversion and death by making it more difficult for medication-seekers to doctor-shop and alter prescriptions. Physicians have access to aggregated electronic health records, providing data that will allow them to prescribe opioids judiciously.

Facilities participating include:

Facility	Address of Drop Off Location	Event Times
Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center	4600 Spotsylvania Parkway, Fredericksburg VA 22408	10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Henrico, Parham, and Retreat Doctors’ Hospitals	7607 Forest Ave., Richmond VA 23229	10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
LewisGale Hospital Alleghany	313 Thacker Ave, Covington, VA 24426	10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
LewisGale Hospital Alleghany	1618 Main St., Clifton Forge, VA 24422	10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
LewisGale Medical Center Cave Spring ER	2706 Ogden Rd, Roanoke, VA 24018	10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
LewisGale Hospital Pulaski	1400 Bob White Blvd, Pulaski, VA 24301	10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
LewisGale Hospital Montgomery	3700 South Main St., Blacksburg, VA 24060	10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Reston Hospital Center	1850 Town Center Parkway, Reston, VA 20190	10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Reston Hospital Center, Tysons Emergency	8240 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182	10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
CJW Medical Center	Hancock Village Shopping Center (behind Swift Creek FSED) 14500 Hancock Village St, Chesterfield, VA 23832	10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

 FOR MORE INFO: For more information and other Crush the Crisis events being held around Virginia, visit www.hcahealthcare.com/campaigns/crush-the-crisis or call (833) 582-1970.

Original source can be found here.