Memorial Health has announced that it collected 178 pounds of medication during HCA Healthcare’s seventh annual “Crush the Crisis” prescription drug take back day. Since joining the initiative, Memorial Health has gathered more than 1,280 pounds of unused and expired medications. Nationwide, HCA Healthcare reports collecting over 108,500 pounds of medication since launching “Crush the Crisis” in 2019.
The event was organized in partnership with the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia – West Chatham Branch. It provided community members with an opportunity to safely and anonymously dispose of unused or expired medications while raising awareness about prescription drug misuse. The event coincided with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which recently collected over half a million pounds of medication across the country.
Memorial Health participates in broader efforts by HCA Healthcare to address prescription drug misuse through data-driven initiatives. The health system uses insights from approximately 44 million patient encounters each year to inform its approach to pain management and opioid reduction strategies. These include Enhanced Surgical Recovery (ESR), which focuses on optimizing surgical outcomes and reducing opioid use through multiple interventions before, during, and after surgery. According to Memorial Health, “HCA Healthcare’s ESR programs have demonstrated significant improvements in surgical recovery and patient satisfaction, including decreases in opioid usage.”
Additionally, Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS) is used to combat rising rates of opioid-related addiction by making it harder for individuals to obtain prescriptions fraudulently. “Physicians have access to aggregated electronic health records, providing data that will allow them to prescribe opioids judiciously,” Memorial Health stated.
