Mission Hospital and its sister hospitals in the region collected 129.31 pounds of opioid medications during its “Crush the Crisis” opioid take-back day on Saturday to help combat the nation’s opioid crisis.
Community members participated in the event by dropping off unused and expired prescription medications. Mission thanks all area law enforcement who partnered with the hospitals on collection day.
Amounts collected at each location:
- Mission Hospital – 62 lbs
- Mission Hospital McDowell – 15 lbs
- Blue Ridge Regional Hospital – 6.5 lbs
- Angel Medical Center – 3.11 lbs
- Highlands-Cashiers Hospital – 3.1 lbs
- Transylvania Regional Hospital – 39.6 lbs
- Total weight – 129.31 lbs
As part of HCA Healthcare, Mission Health hospitals participated in this second annual event along with approximately 95 other HCA Healthcare facilities across 16 states.
Partnering with local law enforcement and in alignment with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the Crush the Crisis event was implemented to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and proper disposal of medications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 2 million people in the U.S. suffered from an opioid use disorder and more than 67,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2018. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the U.S. is seeing an increase in opioid usage, with 40 states reporting increases in opioid-related mortality, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).