Volunteers from Cartersville Medical Center in partnership with Bartow County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA will collect and safely dispose of unused opioid medications.
Press Release:
Cartersville, GA; August 24, 2018 – On Friday, September 7th, Cartersville Medical Center will host “Crush the Crisis,” an opioid take-back event. CMC will partner with Bartow County Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement officers will be on site at The Hope Center to help with the collection and disposal of unused medications from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2016 there were 1,186 opioid-related overdose deaths in Tennessee which equates to 18.1 deaths per 100,000 Tennesseans. In comparison, the national rate for opioid-related overdose deaths is 13.3 per 100,000 persons.
“Our goal for ‘Crush the Crisis’ is to bring awareness to the dangers of opioid addiction and increase awareness about the proper disposal of these medications,” said Dr. Lakshman Dinavahi, chief medical officer at Cartersville Medical Center. “Opioid addiction can happen to anyone, and unused opioids are a major source of misuse and diversion. We want to provide this opportunity as a confidential and anonymous way for people to dispose of their unused medication properly.”
Pharmacy staff 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). Items not accepted include needles, syringes, lancets or liquids.
“Crush the Crisis” will take place in the parking lot of The Hope Center on Friday, September 7th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of main entrance located at 100 Market Place Boulevard. For more information, visit CartersvilleMedical.com/CrushTheCrisis or contact Ginger Tyra at 770.607.1017.
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