Walgreens Safe Medication Disposal Kiosks Now Available at Nearly 300 Pharmacies in 21 States; Initiative Leads Fight against Prescription Drug Abuse

House Speaker Paul Ryan joins Walgreens at today’s launch of drug
take-back disposal program in Wisconsin

Lifesaving opioid antidote naloxone now available without a
prescription at more than 2,600 Walgreens pharmacies in 14 states

DEERFIELD, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#DrugAbuse–In the first national effort of its kind by a retailer, Walgreens has
installed safe medication disposal kiosks at 288 pharmacies across 21
states and Washington D.C. Walgreens is now more than halfway toward its
goal, announced in February, of installing medication disposal kiosks at
500 locations around the country.


To mark the first store in Wisconsin with a drug take-back kiosk,
Walgreens will be joined today by House Speaker Paul Ryan for a ceremony
at a Janesville, Wis., store. Safe medication disposal kiosk
installation in Wisconsin is expected to be complete by the end of
August.

The kiosks provide a safe and convenient way to dispose of unwanted,
unused or expired prescriptions, including controlled substances, and
over-the-counter medications at no cost. As part of Walgreens drug
take-back program, the kiosks make the disposal of medications easier
and are available year-round to help reduce the misuse of medications
and the rise in overdose deaths.

“Walgreens has taken an important first step to curb the misuse of
medications throughout the country and continues to make progress in
offering easy and convenient medication disposal,” said Richard
Ashworth, Walgreens president of pharmacy and retail operations.
“Everyone has a role to play in minimizing prescription drug abuse, and
we are committed to being part of a comprehensive solution to reverse
this epidemic.”

The kiosks at Walgreens pharmacies are available during regular pharmacy
hours (24 hours a day at most kiosk locations) and offer one of the best
ways to ensure medications are not accidentally used or intentionally
misused by someone else.

Walgreens also has helped curb the rise in opioid overdose deaths by
making naloxone, a lifesaving opioid antidote, available without
requiring a prescription in more than 2,600 pharmacies across 14 states.
On Aug. 1, Walgreens will begin offering naloxone without requiring a
prescription in North Carolina and Wisconsin as the company continues
toward its goal of offering naloxone without a prescription at more than
7,000 of its nearly 8,200 pharmacies. In states where a prescription is
required, Walgreens is available and eager to work with regulators to
help update rules to allow for dispensing of naloxone without a
prescription.

Naloxone can be used in the event of an overdose to reverse the effects
of heroin or other opioid drugs, and is administered by injection or
nasal spray.

When naloxone is dispensed, instructions are provided on how to
administer the medication, including calling 911. Naloxone is not a
substitute for medical care, and anyone who is administered the
medication should seek immediate medical attention.

Drug abuse continues to be a public health and safety risk. More
Americans die every day from drug overdoses than from motor vehicle
crashes, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration’s 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, almost 15
million Americans misused a prescription drug in 20141, and
that same year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
reported a national total of 47,055 drug overdose deaths, which include
deaths from prescription and illicit drugs. That is a 6.5 percent
increase from 2013 and a 140 percent increase since 2000.2

In addition to offering a year-round solution for individuals to dispose
of their medications, Walgreens continues to participate in DEA
sponsored National Prescription Drug Take Back Days, serving as a
collection point in communities for law enforcement to collect unwanted,
unused or expired medications for safe disposal. The company is also
collaborating with the American Pharmacists Association Institute on
Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies to continue to offer a substance abuse
education program for pharmacists and student pharmacists.

States where Walgreens Safe Medication Disposal Program has been
implemented:

Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Iowa,
Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina,
Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas,
Utah, Washington, Wisconsin*

*Installation has begun in the state and is expected to be complete
in August.

States where Walgreens offers naloxone without requiring a
prescription:

Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New
Mexico, New York (including Duane Reade drugstores), Ohio, Oklahoma,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington.

Note: North Carolina and Wisconsin will begin offering naloxone
without requiring a prescription on Aug. 1.

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com),
one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains, is included in the Retail
Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA),
the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More
than 8 million customers interact with Walgreens each day in communities
across America, using the most convenient, multichannel access to
consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health
and wellness services and advice. Walgreens operates 8,173 drugstores
with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens digital business includes
Walgreens.com, drugstore.com, Beauty.com and VisionDirect.com. More than
400 Walgreens stores offer Healthcare Clinic or other provider retail
clinic services.

1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s
2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-DetTabs2014/NSDUH-DetTabs2014.htm#tab1-1a

2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Increases in
Drug and Opioid Overdose Deaths –United States, 2000-2014 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6450a3.htm

Contacts

Walgreens
Phil Caruso
847-315-2962
philip.caruso@walgreens.com
http://news.walgreens.com
@WalgreensNews
facebook.com/Walgreens

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