Solutions and Collaborations for

State Leaders

DisposeRx has developed collaborations with many different state government stakeholders, including Boards of Pharmacy, Medicaid departments, health and human services divisions, workers compensation bureaus, attorney general offices and others.

Read more below about the creative ways states use Opioid Settlement dollars, State Opioid Response and Tribal Opioid Response
grant funding to promote research-based prevention and education initiatives.

Explore the map

Missouri

“Safe at Home” Pharmacy reimbursement program

In December of 2021, Missouri HealthNet partnered with the Missouri Board of Pharmacy’s Rx Cares and the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services (DHSS) to launch the “Safe at Home” Patient Safety Opioid Initiative. The “Safe at Home” Patient Safety Opioid Initiative leverages in-home drug disposal to address substance use disorder, a contributing factor of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. Through a coordinated state effort, patients are protected through risk awareness, injury prevention, and avoid many problems associated with drug abuse.

The program’s success is driven by engaging all the key players. Missouri’s HealthNet (Medicaid), DHSS, and professional organizations like the Missouri Board of Pharmacy engage pharmacists and other providers through provider bulletins and standing orders. Pharmacists educate and distribute DisposeRx in-home drug disposal packets to patients at risk of opioid-related overdose. Patients then keep the small, safe, cost-effective packets in the medicine cabinet to destroy the prescription the moment it’s no longer needed. The result is a turn-key opioid abatement program that promotes positive change in the community, reimburses pharmacists, and helps protect families.

The “Safe At Home” Patient Safety Opioid Initiative is only one of the programs involving DisposeRx. Read on to learn more or use the contact form below to discuss an opioid abatement program for your state.

Other State Programs

Alaska

Packet distribution and Naloxone/Narcan bundling program

The Board of Pharmacy purchases DisposeRx at-home medication disposal packets to distribute to pharmacists and providers in rural and remote areas of Alaska that do not have medication take-back kiosks. Further, Project HOPE—a program under Alaska’s Department Health and Social Services, purchases DisposeRx to bundle with Narcan to distribute throughout community organizations in Alaska.

Florida

Hernando County High School Athletic Disposal Program

Hernando Community Coalition is collaborating with three local high schools to pilot a medication disposal program in which athletic directors, coaches and other key leaders will provide opioid education and a DisposeRx packet to athletes, as well as ROTC, band and dance team members. If any student in these participating groups gets injured during his/her activities, he/she will receive additional DisposeRx packets and be asked to complete a survey. The Coalition will collect data to be presented at the end of the pilot. DisposeRx packets and critical opioid education also will be distributed to those in attendance at home football games during Fall 2022.

Iowa

Pharmacy reimbursement program

Using State Opioid Response grant funds, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy and the Iowa Department of Human Services reimburse Iowa pharmacies $7.50 to provide education to each resident on the risks associated with opioid medications, as well as dispense an at-home medication disposal product, such as DisposeRx. Residents are allowed up to two medication disposal packets each month.

Kentucky

Rural hospital education programs

Baptist Health—a large health system in Kentucky and Indiana, and Appalachian Regional Healthcare—the health system of Appalachia, have seen tremendous results from their existing DisposeRx programs and have drafted a comprehensive funding proposal to submit to Kentucky’s new Opioid Abatement Commission (OAAC). If funded, the new programs will include: adding pharmacists who are specially trained in opioid use disorder to each of the health systems, training for all providers affiliated with the health systems and a state-wide education and communications campaign.

Mississippi

ROTA grant used to educate with packets and postcards

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health began purchasing DisposeRx packets in 2022 to provide to participants at critical conferences in which they attend. Mississippi State University Extension and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences launched a program in 2021-22 in which they purchased DisposeRx packets using SAMHSA Rural Opioid Technical Assistance (ROTA) Grants for eight rural pharmacies. They provided the pharmacists with packets and patient education postcards in English and Spanish and encouraged patients to dispose of their medications. They plan to expand that program to 12 pharmacies in late 2022/early 2023.

North Dakota

Partnering for Behavioral health

The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services Behavioral Health Division recently purchased DisposeRx packets to distribute to a variety of the state’s stakeholders. Included in the distribution are more than 60 pharmacies enrolled in the Opioid and Naloxone Education (ONE) Program–a statewide collaborative that offers training and tools to help pharmacists provide detailed information on safe opioid use. The DisposeRx packets are being offered to the pharmacies’ patients at no charge. As a result of the funding from the Behavioral Health Division, packets were also made available to public health units.

Ohio

Pharmacy reimbursement program

The State of Ohio’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) reimburses Ohio pharmacies for dispensing a drug disposal tool–such as DisposeRx—to each worker who fills an opioid prescription.

Pennsylvania

Blair County Operation Our Town

Operation Our Town brings together businesses, community organizations and individuals to fight drug abuse and crime in Blair County through 11 different roundtables which address specific core focus areas. The Pharmacy Roundtable secured grant funding through Blair Drug and Alcohol Partnerships to purchase DisposeRx packets for local pharmacists and to reimburse them $10 each time they provide opioid disposal and overdose education. Due to the success of the program, the original $10,000 grant has been depleted, and additional funding has been provided by wholesaler Value Drug Company.

South Dakota

SOR Grants for Medication Disposal

The South Dakota Department of Social Services began using State Opioid Response (SOR) grant funding to purchase DisposeRx packets in 2022. The packets are distributed to contracted prevention providers throughout the state that ultimately distribute the packets to community members via education and town hall events. The Avoid Opioid website allows South Dakota residents to request DisposeRx packets, which are then mailed to the residents at no cost.

Texas

Beating Opioids through teen sports

In October 2022, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched the “Friday Night Lights Against Opioids” coalition and a large-scale pilot program to help stop the opioid epidemic from destroying Texas communities and hurting young people—especially student athletes. The coalition will distribute over 3.5 million at-home medication disposal packets at high school football programs across the state. The distribution will be combined with public service announcements made during football games and educational materials to be sent to over 1 million parents, guardians, and students in concert with the Texas High School Coaches information network. The Texas Attorney General’s Office is partnering with the Texas High School Coaches Association, DisposeRx, Inc., and the National Child ID Program to successfully implement this program.

West Virginia

Medication safety pilot

In Spring 2022, West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute (WDVII) launched a pharmacy reimbursement pilot with independent and regional pharmacies. Using State Opioid Response grant funding and other sources, WVDII provides pharmacists with education and access to an Opioid Use Disorder screening tool, as well as Naloxone and DisposeRx medication disposal packets.

Every State is an opportunity
to help

Every federal, state, local and tribal organization could help reduce the risks of prescription medication through education about proper disposal.

Reducing the risks associated with unused medications in the home is one way of helping to keep family members and friends safe. We are proud to partner with pharmacy and healthcare leaders, as well as community organizations, to help educate about the importance of prompt and proper medication disposal.

Please contact DisposeRx, Inc., if you would like additional information about our product or education initiatives.

DisposeRx, Inc - Medication disposal logo
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Alaska

Packet distribution and Naloxone/Narcan bundling program

The Board of Pharmacy purchases DisposeRx at-home medication disposal packets to distribute to pharmacists and providers in rural and remote areas of Alaska that do not have medication take-back kiosks. Further, Project HOPE—a program under Alaska’s Department Health and Social Services, purchases DisposeRx to bundle with Narcan to distribute throughout community organizations in Alaska.

Florida

Hernando County High School Athletic Disposal Program

Hernando Community Coalition is collaborating with three local high schools to pilot a medication disposal program in which athletic directors, coaches and other key leaders will provide opioid education and a DisposeRx packet to athletes, as well as ROTC, band and dance team members. If any student in these participating groups gets injured during his/her activities, he/she will receive additional DisposeRx packets and be asked to complete a survey. The Coalition will collect data to be presented at the end of the pilot. DisposeRx packets and critical opioid education also will be distributed to those in attendance at home football games during Fall 2022.

Iowa

Pharmacy reimbursement program

Using State Opioid Response grant funds, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy and the Iowa Department of Human Services reimburse Iowa pharmacies $7.50 to provide education to each resident on the risks associated with opioid medications, as well as dispense an at-home medication disposal product, such as DisposeRx. Residents are allowed up to two medication disposal packets each month.

Mississippi

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health began purchasing DisposeRx packets in 2022 to provide to participants at critical conferences in which they attend. Mississippi State University Extension and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences launched a program in 2021-22 in which they purchased DisposeRx packets using SAMHSA Rural Opioid Technical Assistance (ROTA) Grants for eight rural pharmacies. They provided the pharmacists with packets and patient education postcards in English and Spanish and encouraged patients to dispose of their medications. They plan to expand that program to 12 pharmacies in late 2022/early 2023.

Missouri

Pharmacy reimbursement program

In January 2022, MO HealthNet and the Missouri Board of Pharmacy launched a program to reimburse participating pharmacists/pharmacies for providing opioid misuse prevention education and DisposeRx packets to eligible patients.

North Dakota

The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services Behavioral Health Division recently purchased DisposeRx packets to distribute to a variety of the state’s stakeholders. Included in the distribution are more than 60 pharmacies enrolled in the Opioid and Naloxone Education (ONE) Program–a statewide collaborative that offers training and tools to help pharmacists provide detailed information on safe opioid use. The DisposeRx packets are being offered to the pharmacies’ patients at no charge. As a result of the funding from the Behavioral Health Division, packets were also made available to public health units.

Ohio

Pharmacy reimbursement program

The State of Ohio’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) reimburses Ohio pharmacies for dispensing a drug disposal tool–such as DisposeRx—to each worker who fills an opioid prescription.

Pennsylvania

Blair County Operation Our Town

Operation Our Town brings together businesses, community organizations and individuals to fight drug abuse and crime in Blair County through 11 different roundtables which address specific core focus areas. The Pharmacy Roundtable secured grant funding through Blair Drug and Alcohol Partnerships to purchase DisposeRx packets for local pharmacists and to reimburse them $10 each time they provide opioid disposal and overdose education. Due to the success of the program, the original $10,000 grant has been depleted, and additional funding has been provided by wholesaler Value Drug Company.

South Dakota

The South Dakota Department of Social Services began using State Opioid Response (SOR) grant funding to purchase DisposeRx packets in 2022. The packets are distributed to contracted prevention providers throughout the state that ultimately distribute the packets to community members via education and town hall events. The Avoid Opioid website allows South Dakota residents to request DisposeRx packets, which are then mailed to the residents at no cost.

Texas

In October 2022, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched the “Friday Night Lights Against Opioids” coalition and a large-scale pilot program to help stop the opioid epidemic from destroying Texas communities and hurting young people—especially student athletes. The coalition will distribute over 3.5 million at-home medication disposal packets at high school football programs across the state. The distribution will be combined with public service announcements made during football games and educational materials to be sent to over 1 million parents, guardians, and students in concert with the Texas High School Coaches information network. The Texas Attorney General’s Office is partnering with the Texas High School Coaches Association, DisposeRx, Inc., and the National Child ID Program to successfully implement this program.

West Virginia

Medication safety pilot

In Spring 2022, West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute launched a pharmacy reimbursement pilot with independent and regional pharmacies. Using State Opioid Response grant funding and other sources, WV DII provides pharmacists with education and access to an Opioid Use Disorder screening tool, as well as Naloxone and DisposeRx medication disposal packets.