Walmart Teaming Up With Small Startup Company to Fight Opioid Abuse
It’s hard to pick up a newspaper, or turn on the local news across the country and not see evidence of the rampant amount of opioid abuse that has afflicted our country. Too many Americans are becoming addicted, and ultimately dying at the hands of such a powerful addiction. Opioid addiction continues to be a massive problem around the country, and it’s likely going to take some ‘out of the box’ thinking to begin to turn the corner towards relief.
Walmart Offering Pharmacy Customers a Product to Help Prevent Opioid Abuse
Not only are local communities and government agencies working to curb opioid abuse, but large multi-national organizations are joining in as well. Walmart recently announced that any customers that fill a new Class II opioid prescription at one of the company’s U.S. pharmacies will receive a package of DisposeRx, which is powder that when mixed with warm water helps to create a safe, biodegradable gel. This gel renders the effects of the opioids useless and can even be disposed of safely in the trash. DisposeRx works with medications in a variety of forms including powder, tablets, capsules, or liquids.
Walmart has committed to providing a packet with each new opioid prescription, and patients who receive ongoing opioid prescriptions can receive the packet every six months. In addition, pharmacy patients at Walmart can request the packets free of charge at any time.
Large Percentage of People Abusing Opioids Getting Them From Friends or Relatives
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, roughly two thirds of people who are currently misusing opioids are getting them from friends or relatives. This is often due to unused prescriptions not being properly disposed of.
The thought is that DisposeRx will offer individuals with a way to safely get rid of harmful opioids before they end up in the wrong hands. The CEO of DisposeRx was quoted as saying that, 70% of the opioid problem begins in the medicine cabinet. His hope is that by offering this necessary service, fewer individuals will have access to these harmful drugs, which will in turn hopefully lead to fewer individuals becoming addicted, or worse dying from an opioid overdose.
At Advanced Rapid Detox, We Applaud the Work of Walmart and DisposeRx
At Advanced Rapid Detox, we were extremely excited to hear about this partnership between Walmart and DisposeRx as a way to attempt to fight the growing opioid epidemic across our country. If you or a loved one is suffering from the violent grips of opioid addiction, don’t hesitate to reach out to our experienced staff today by phone at 800-603-1813 or through our online contact form. We will be happy to discuss your options and help you to finally begin to take back your life from an addiction that unfortunately affects more and more people each and every day.