
ST. LOUIS, MO – DECEMBER 8, 2023– As drug overdoses in the United States continue to hit record highs – over 109,000 Americans died of overdose in the 12-month period ending in March 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – drug misuse prevention tools are more important than ever.
This is why Affinia Healthcare is providing the community with the Deterra® Drug Deactivation and Disposal System for permanent, at-home drug disposal. The healthcare provider has over 200 pouches available to the public at the provider’s two pharmacies, 1717 Biddle Street and 2220 Lemp Avenue.
Distribution of Deterra Pouches will help local households prevent medication misuse, accidental ingestion and environmental harm by safely deactivating and disposing of unwanted medications.
“Safe medication disposal keeps children, pets and others safe from accidentally ingesting unused or expired medications, helps prevent medications from being misused or stolen, and helps keep unused medications out of our water and soil,” said Kenyatta Johnson, Director of Pharmacy Services for Affinia Healthcare.
In a simple 3-step process, a user deactivates drugs by putting them in a Deterra Pouch, adding water, shaking and throwing away in the household garbage. Each pouch uses organic activated carbon to deactivate up to 15 pills or two ounces of liquid or two patches.
Deterra’s plant-based packaging and non-toxic ingredients also prevent harmful chemicals from entering landfills and water supplies, making the world safer for everyone. For more information, call 314.814.8700 or visit www.affiniahealthcare.org.
###
About Affinia Healthcare
Affinia Healthcare is a dynamic and transformative health system, providing affordable primary and preventive health care located in St. Louis, Missouri. Affinia Healthcare is a community health center, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and is nationally accredited through The Joint Commission and National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) organizations. Affinia Healthcare serves over 43,700 people per year at its 11 health centers located in St. Louis City and County. Many of the health center’s patients have incomes under 100 percent of the federal poverty level. Approximately 70 percent of patients served are Black or African American, 11 percent are Hispanic/Latine, and over 4,000 are un-housed.
The Affinia Healthcare Foundation depends on a wide array of funding sources and individual donor contributions to care for the most vulnerable and disenfranchised in our community. To make a donation to Affinia Healthcare, visit www.affiniahealthcare.org/donate.
For more information about Affinia Healthcare, call 314-814-8700, or visit www.affiniahealthcare.org.