Western Health Advantage (WHA) is offering Gatekeeper Innovation Inc.'s Rx Locking Cap as a covered benefit to its members to prevent misuse or abuse of in-home prescription medications. Learn more about this exciting new benefit for WHA members. WHA Provides No-Cost Safe Dispensing Devices to Battle Opioid Misuse According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Abuse, more than 70 percent of individuals who illegally use prescription pain relievers obtained them through their friends or family, often from the home medicine cabinet. In 2017, an estimated 18 million people (more than 6 percent of those aged 12 and older) had misused controlled substances at least once in the past year. Western Health Advantage (WHA) is a non-profit HMO health plan headquartered in Sacramento, California, serving 9 Northern California counties (Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, Yolo, Colusa, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin). "The opioid and other prescription medication abuse epidemic calls for solutions on many fronts, including the use of abuse-resistant packaging," WHA announced in its winter 2020 issue of Provider Insider. "For this reason, WHA is introducing the availability of a prescription locking ...

Gatekeeper Innovation, Inc.'s new Rx Locking Cap is now available in 7,886 Walgreen locations across the country. Find out why this innovative drug diversion device is a perfect fit for Walgreen’s aggressive battle against the opioid epidemic. How Walgreens is Battling the Opioid Epidemic According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of more than 130 people in the United States died each day in 2017 due to drug overdoses involving opioids (including prescription opioid medication or illicit opioid drugs). Walgreens is one of the largest retail pharmacies in the country, with approximately 9,021 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As of August 2020, approximately 78 percent of the U.S. population lives within five miles of a Walgreens. The retail pharmacy filled 287.6 million prescriptions (including immunizations) in 2020. Walgreens has launched a multi-million dollar effort to help address the U.S. opioid epidemic, with a plan that includes steps to: Save lives, first and foremost Prevent misuse and curb abuse of prescription drugs Reduce future prescription drug abuse In addition ...

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, claiming the lives of over 48,000 people per year. Two of the leading methods for suicide are firearms and self-poisoning (overdose). The State of Virginia is promoting safe and responsible care of lethal means to promote wellness and prevent suicide through its Lock & Talk Virginia program. Lock & Talk Virginia Suicide Prevention Initiative The Lock & Talk Virginia program is based on suicide prevention strategy and research from the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Its components include: Safe Handling and Secure Storage of Lethal Means Lock & Talk Virginia distributes safety devices and instructions to help its community members secure prescription medications and firearms. By distributing safety devices such as medication lock boxes, medication deactivation kits, gun trigger locks, and gun cable locks, Lock & Talk is encouraging safekeeping of the leading methods of suicide. Nearly two-thirds (60%) of U.S. suicides involve firearms Child and teen firearm suicide rates have increased by 65% in the past 10 years One in five suicides in the U.S. employed overdose as the primary method 80% of overdose ...

Prescription drug delivery services have never been in higher demand than now. Couriers have seen a steep increase in residential demand during COVID-19 lockdowns, and there's no indication this demand will slow or stop anytime soon. As more patients rely on online pharmacies, pharmacy delivery services, and third-party courier services to deliver their medications in a safe, discreet, and timely manner, delivery services need to be aware of the regulatory issues involved with medication delivery. What regulatory issues should you be aware of when delivering prescriptions? Valid Prescriptions Only First and foremost, there are Federal regulations regarding prescription delivery that you must abide by, such as: No controlled substance that is a prescription drug may be delivered, distributed, or dispensed by means of the Internet without a valid prescription. According to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 21: "it is unlawful for any person to knowingly or intentionally fill a prescription for a controlled substance that was issued in a manner that constitutes dispensing by means of the Internet unless such person is a pharmacist who is acting in the usual course of his professional ...

Providing a prescription delivery service for prescription medications meets the needs of patients and can also help protect the health and safety of both patients and pharmacy employees. COVID-19 concerns and shelter-in-place orders have made delivery services essential. Some sources estimate that prescription delivery service can increase a pharmacy's revenue by 6% to 8%. Some pharmacies employ their own delivery drivers, while others contract with third-party same-day delivery services. Providing a prescription delivery service comes with a few key considerations, including: How should I package medications for delivery? When delivering prescriptions via courier, extensive packaging isn't typically required since the medications go directly from the pharmacy to the patient's home. Maintaining Privacy Protecting patient privacy is important when delivering medications via courier service. Medications should be packaged in a plain, non-transparent bag with just the patient's name and address on the outside of the bag. Securing Schedule II Drugs Certain Schedule II drugs, such as opioids and benzodiazepines, are at higher risk for diversion and abuse than other medications. Securing Schedule II prescriptions with a locking cap or other added security layer can help protect pharmacies and courier services ...