REPRESENTATIVE MIZUNO, CVC PHARMACY, ANNOUNCE INSTALLATION OF DRUG DISPOSAL UNITS AT 17 LONGS DRUGS STORES

Effort to help combat prescription drug diversion and misuse in Hawaiʻi 

 WHO:             Representative John Mizuno, Chair, House Committee on Health

WHAT:          Installation of drug disposal units at 17 Longs Drugs Stores completed

WHEN:          Friday, September 27

                        10 a.m.

WHERE:       Longs Drugs

                        Kamehameha Shopping Center

1620 North School St.

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – State Representative John Mizuno, author of HB1272 which was signed into law as Act 183, allows for such drug take back in Hawaiʻi. Mizuno will join representatives from CVS Pharmacy to announce the completed installation of drug disposal units in 17 Longs Drugs stores across the State, including nine on Oʻahu. 

The disposal program is designed to help address the diversion and misuse of unwanted or unneeded prescription medication -- including opioids.

"We need to make sure that prescription drugs that are no longer needed by the patients they were meant for are disposed of properly and don't fall into the wrong hands," said Mizuno (Kalihi Valley, Kamehameha Heights, portion of Lower Kalihi). "I want to thank CVS and Longs Drugs for supporting this program to help our residents."

Nationwide, CVS has installed more than 1,600 in-store safe medication disposal units. The company has also donated more than 987 units to community organizations like police departments. Through this national effort over one million pounds of unwanted medication has been collected.