Arizona's Safe Drug Disposal Program Expands
Gov. Doug Ducey's partnership with Walgreens started with disposal kiosks at 18 Walgreens locations in 2016. Arizona now has 35 kiosks around the state with 24-hour accessibility.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey recently joined representatives of Walgreens to publicize the expansion of safe medication disposal kiosks across the state, saying the kiosks aid Arizona's fight against prescription drug and opioid abuse. Walgreens developed safe medication disposal kiosks to provide a convenient, secure way to dispose of unwanted over-the-counter medications, prescriptions, or controlled substances, including opioids.
The governor's partnership with Walgreens started with disposal kiosks at 18 Walgreens locations in 2016. Arizona now has 35 kiosks around the state, and with 24-hour accessibility, Arizonans can discard old medications knowing those drugs won't have unintended consequences.
"Every pill disposed of at a Walgreens is one less that can be misused, abused, stolen, or potentially lead to addiction or loss of life," the governor said. "It takes everyone working together to make a difference. Thank you to Walgreens for being a proactive community partner in the war against this epidemic, and thank you to the health care providers, pharmaceutical companies, law enforcement, addiction specialists, and community partners for joining together to make Arizona safer."
According to the governor's office, Walgreens also dispenses the opioid antidote drug naloxone without a prescription at all 244 of its Arizona locations, making it more readily available for at-risk individuals. Ducey signed legislation in 2016 allowing pharmacists to dispense the drug without a prescription.