Kroger Health Promotes Safe Use of Rx Meds
Kroger Health, the health care division of The Kroger Co., has launched an interactive prescription drug safety course for adults. The free wellness resource is made available through Kroger Health’s relationship with social-impact technology provider Everfi Inc.
In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified opioid overdoses as the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. Of the more than 67,000 deaths attributed to this cause, almost 70% involved a prescription or illicit opioid. A contributing factor for the prevalence of opioid misuse in the United States is Americans’ perception of prescription drugs as safe because they’re prescribed by a medical doctor. Kroger Health’s new wellness resource gives patients, caregivers and pharmacy employees necessary information on the dangers of misusing prescription drugs.
“At Kroger Health, our vision is to help people live healthier lives,” said Colleen Lindholz, president of the division. “Providing this new prescription drug safety course for our associates and customers will help them better understand their prescription medication, techniques to properly dispose of that medication, and ways to help family and friends who may be struggling with a prescription misuse disorder.”
Kroger Health’s resource employs interactive scenarios and self-guided activities to lead adult prescription drug users through 10 learning modules, covering such topics as using safe disposal methods, recognizing and recovering from an opioid misuse situation, and helping friends and family suffering from opioid misuse or opioid use disorder. The mobile-friendly tool is designed to simplify vast amounts of information to offer users the knowledge they need, when they need it.
“Information about prescription drugs is often overwhelming to the average person, who is trying to follow the instructions and take their medication as prescribed,” explained Jon Chapman, co-founder and president of Washington, D.C.-based Everfi. “The information that is readily available often speaks to what not to do and doesn’t provide guidance on alternatives. Kroger Health is providing information that educates and guides people through the methods to take their medications safely, an approach that has been missing as we address the opioid crisis.”
The resource builds on Kroger Health’s earlier work with Everfi on a high school-level prescription drug safety course. In 2018, Kroger Health joined the Prescription Drug Safety Network, a national coalition dedicated to providing Americans with the skills and knowledge to make safe decisions about prescription medications through via education. Through its work with the network, Kroger Health has reached more than 43,000 high school students across the country.
Kroger Health consists of more than 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states, serving more than 14 million customers. Its team of 22,000 health care practitioners include pharmacists, nurse practitioners, dietitians and technicians.
Cincinnati-based Kroger employs nearly half a million associates who serve 9 million-plus customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The company is No. 3 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
