Walmart Has A New Program To Help America's Opioid Crisis

Walmart is launching a program to provide free opioid disposal kits at all of its pharmacies in an effort to curb the drug overdose crisis, the company announced this week.

DisposeRx is a packet of chemicals designed to dissolve opioids, turning them into a harmless gel that can be safely disposed of in the trash. Experts warn that simply throwing away medications like opioids could be dangerous if found by pets, children, or others; flushing them down the toilet can allow the chemicals to leach into our water supply.

And since many doctors prescribe more opioids than necessary to their patients, people can end up with a significant supply of unneeded drugs in their homes. While some areas offer prescription drug disposal services, these programs aren't always particularly convenient.

"DisposeRx provides a virtually effortless way for patients to destroy leftover opioids and a way to do so without ever leaving home," Walmart said in a news release.

"The health and safety of our patients is a critical priority; that's why we're taking an active role in fighting our nation's opioid issue – an issue that has affected so many families and communities across America," Walmart Executive Vice President Marybeth Hays said. "While this issue requires many resources to solve, we are confident this unique, easy-to-use disposal solution, DisposeRx, will make a meaningful impact on the lives of many."

"It's nice to see more and more options for the safe and secure disposal of unused prescription medications, and especially important that patients are learning about opioid risks upfront, right along with the benefits," said Jeremiah Gardner, a spokesman for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, a nonprofit addiction treatment group. "There is no silver-bullet fix to the addiction crisis, but steps like this help."

Walmart says it has 4,700 pharmacies nationwide that will offer the DisposeRx. It says it has previously taken multiple steps to fight the opioid crisis, including training its staff in appropriate uses for the drugs and supporting a national database for monitoring prescription drugs.

However, the company has also faced fierce criticism for its role in the crisis. The Cherokee Nation named Walmart in a lawsuit alleging that the company "consciously oversupplied" opioids to pharmacies in counties near where its citizens live.

According to the National Institute for Drug Abuse, more than 90 people in the United States die every day from opioids, a class of drugs that includes prescription painkillers, heroin and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about three-fourths of all 64,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. were caused by opioids. Some researchers believe even the official counts may underestimate the extent of the crisis. The institute cites the explosion of prescription opioids in the 1990s as the cause of the current crisis.

Story by Cody Fenwick, Patch national staff; Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images