Crushing the Crisis: HCA Florida Healthcare facilities collect nearly 200 pounds of unused prescription drugs
HCA Florida Healthcare locations in Central Florida hosted Crush the Crisis prescription drug collections this past Saturday to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug misuse and the importance of safe and proper disposal of unused or expired medications, and the community responded! Oviedo Medical Center, part of HCA Florida Healthcare, collected 63.5 pounds of unused medications for proper disposal.
Together, Oviedo Medical Center, UCF Lake Nona Hospital and HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital collected 197 pounds in Central Florida. They joined sister facilities across the country as part of HCA Healthcare’s 7th annual national Crush the Crisis prescription take back day. The event, which coincides with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, offers the community an opportunity to safely and anonymously dispose of medications that may be left over from previous medical procedures or other health treatments. Since 2019, HCA Healthcare has helped safely dispose of more than 88,000 pounds of unused or expired medication. The HCA Healthcare team’s journey continued this year toward a goal of 100,000 pounds of collected medication.
Law enforcement officers collected tablets, capsules, patches, ointments, lotions, drops,
liquid medication, vape cartridges and pet medications. If you missed this event, you can
still drop off unused medications at various locations – visit the DEA’s website
at dea.gov/everyday-takeback-day for a location near you.
About HCA Florida Healthcare
HCA Florida Healthcare, a part of HCA Healthcare, is a family of more than 650 affiliated sites of care, including hospitals, physician practices, freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care centers. As one of the state’s leading healthcare networks, HCA Florida Healthcare’s 11,100 experienced doctors and more than 84,000 colleagues work together to deliver equitable, evidence-based collaborative care through more than 12 million patient encounters annually. HCA Florida Healthcare is committed to improving more lives in more ways and giving back to the communities it serves. In 2024, the network provided more than $1 billion in uncompensated care and contributed more than $3.7 million to community organizations across the state. In addition, HCA Florida Healthcare offers patients access to highly trained specialists, including the state’s most comprehensive cardiovascular network. A strong advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals, HCA Florida Healthcare is a leader in training future healthcare professionals, offering 151 Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs at 27 different hospitals with more than 2,400 residents. For more information, please visit HCAFloridaHealthcare.com.
