“Crush the Crisis” opioid take back day
Area TriStar Health hospitals will partner with local law enforcement to host “Crush the Crisis” opioid take back day. The community is invited to safely and anonymously dispose of unused or expired prescription medications at participating TriStar Health hospitals.
The opioid crisis has been declared a public health emergency. Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die from opioid-related drug overdoses. The misuse of prescription opioids often begins when they are obtained from a friend or family member’s medicine cabinet. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2017, there were 1,269 overdose deaths involving opioids in Tennessee—a rate of 19.3 deaths per 100,000 persons, which is higher than the national rate of 14.6 deaths per 100,000 persons. Kentucky is among the top ten states with the highest opioid-related overdose deaths. In 2017, there were 1,160 reported opioid-involved deaths in Kentucky—a rate of 27.9 deaths per 100,000 persons, compared to the average national rate of 14.6 deaths per 100,000 persons.
Who: TriStar Health hospital volunteers, including doctors and nurses, and uniformed law enforcement officers invite the community to safely dispose of their unused medications.
What: Crush the Crisis Opioid Take Back Day
Accepted medications include: tablets, capsules and patches of Hydrocodone (Norco, Lortab, Vicodin), Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), Tramadol (Ultram), Codeine, Fentanyl (Duragesic), Morphine, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and Oxymorphone (Opana). We will not be able to accept needles, syringes, lancets, inhalers or liquids.
Where: TriStar Centennial Medical Center
2300 Patterson Street – Nashville, TN 37203
TriStar Hendersonville Medical Center
355 New Shackle Island Road – Hendersonville, TN 37075
TriStar Horizon Medical Center
111 Highway 70 East – Dickson, TN 37055
TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital
1801 Ashley Circle – Bowling Green, KY 42104
TriStar Skyline Medical Center
3441 Dickerson Pike – Nashville, TN 37207
TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center
391 Wallace Road – Nashville, TN 37211
TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center
200 StoneCrest Boulevard – Smyrna, TN 37167
TriStar Summit Medical Center*
5655 Frist Boulevard – Hermitage, TN 37076
TriStar Spring Hill ER
3001 Reserve Boulevard – Spring Hill, TN 37174
When: Saturday, September 7, 2019
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
*TriStar Summit will be collecting medications from 10 am – 1 pm.
Why: Opioid misuse is a public health crisis in the United States. In 2017, there were nearly 48,000 opioid-related deaths reported across the country. In 2018, area TriStar Health hospitals participated in a “Crush the Crisis” Take Back Day and collected more than 220 pounds of medication across nine hospitals which equated to the elimination of more 100,000 doses of risk to the community.
On Saturday, September 7, 2019, area TriStar Health facilities will join more than 65 HCA Healthcare hospitals, spanning 15 states – in partnership with local law enforcement – to raise awareness about opioid addiction and collect unused and expired prescription medications.
Quote: “Our goal for ‘Crush the Crisis’ is to bring awareness to the dangers of opioid addiction and increase awareness about the proper disposal of these medications,” said Dr. Jeffrey Hodrick, orthopedic surgeon. “Opioid addiction can happen to anyone, and unused opioids are a major source of misuse and diversion. We want to provide this opportunity as a confidential and anonymous way for the community to dispose of their unused medication properly.”
