CADCA, in partnership with the Deterra® Drug Deactivation and Disposal System, announced today the launch of the ‘Over the Dose Challenge,’ a nationwide campaign running August 1, 2024 – October 31, 2024 dedicated to educating communities about the dangers of keeping unused prescription drugs at home and promoting safe, effective disposal methods.
Through this inaugural campaign, CADCA encourages communities to participate by disposing of unused and expired prescription medications and sharing their stories on social media with the hashtag #OverTheDose. The campaign also includes resources on CADCA’s website about the dangers of unused or expired prescription medications, proper disposal methods, and success stories.
“Prescription medication misuse is a serious issue impacting families and communities nationwide,” said General Barrye L. Price, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of CADCA. “With this campaign we want to make an impact on affected communities by providing resources and tools for individuals to safely dispose of unused prescription medications, thereby reducing the risk of drugs falling into the wrong hands.”
A recent JAMA study shows that the odds of opioid-related overdose increases by 60% when another household member had an opioid prescription filled in the past 6 months. The results suggest that household prescription availability is associated with increased odds of opioid overdose for others in the household, even if they do not have their own opioid prescription. In addition to drug misuse, other risks of not disposing of unused prescriptions include accidental ingestion and environmental harm. This can be counteracted by proper education and tools, such as access to Verde Environmental Technologies, Inc.’s Deterra Drug Deactivation and Disposal Pouches.
Deterra Pouches uses organic activated carbon and tap water to render drugs inert, making them unretrievable for misuse and safe to throw away in the household trash without contaminating landfills or waterways. It is the only product available that is scientifically proven to destroy prescription and over-the-counter medicine, right at home.
“Proper disposal of prescription drugs is a simple yet effective way to make our communities safer,” said Jason Sundby, President of Verde Environmental Technologies, Inc. ‘The Over the Dose Challenge’ is an important program to educate and empower individuals to take action and protect their loved ones and environment.”
