Mallinckrodt donates drug deactivation pouches in 7 states

CHESTERFIELD, U.K. — Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals announced Thursday that it would be making it easier for people in the Midwest and in central Appalachia to dispose of their leftover prescription medications. The company will be making 160,000 drug deactivation pouches to families at nearly 800 Walmart stores in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

 

The pouch system deactivates prescription drugs and renders chemical compounds safe for a landfill, and they are biodegradable. This initiative is part of Mallinckrodt’s initiative to donate one million pouches to help combat prescription medication abuse. 

 

"As a company focused on the health and well-being of our patients and communities, Mallinckrodt has long been a strong advocate of addressing the complex issues of opioid misuse and abuse that cause so much harm to families," Mallinckrodt president and CEO Mark Trudeau said. "We share the concerns of parents across the nation, and believe that providing patients with a safe, environmentally responsible way to dispose of unused medications is critical in this fight against prescription drug abuse.”

 

According to a survey published in June in JAMA Internal Medicine, nearly 68% of respondents to the survey said they’d gotten medications they’d taken non-medically through friends or relatives. 

 

"Mallinckrodt is committed to working with policy makers, community leaders, law enforcement and industry partners to ensure the responsible use of pain medication and prevent unused medications from ending up in the wrong hands,” Trudeau said.