[August 18, 2017] |
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Count It! Lock It! Drop It! Adds New Communities to Program
Count It! Lock It! Drop It! ™ (CLD), a comprehensive community program
for prescription drug abuse prevention, has added 26 counties since its
statewide launch last summer.
In June 2016, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation
approved a grant to fund the program's expansion to areas identified as
"hot spots," which are counties with high numbers of prescriptions
dispensed, overdose deaths and babies born with neonatal abstinence
syndrome.
The program, now offered in 58 counties, suggests three simple steps
that anyone can practice to keep their medications out of the wrong
hands:
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Count pills every two weeks to monitor theft and help ensure
medications are taken properly;
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Lock and store medications in a secure place where others would not
think to look; and
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Dispose of unused or expired medications at drop boxes or during
take-back events.
"Prescription drug misuse has reached epidemic levels in the state of
Tennessee," said Kristina Clark, CLD project manager. "Becoming a CLD
community is an easy way for local law enforcement and anti-drug
coalitions to encourage their residents to closely monitor their
prescriptions, especially ones for opioids."
Communities that have recently joined the program include:
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Benton County
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Carroll County
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Cocke County
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Claiborne County
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Crockett County
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Cumberland County
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Decatur County
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Dyer County
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Fayette County
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Fentress County
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Gibson County
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Giles County
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Greene County
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Hancock County
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Hardin County
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Henderson County
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Humphreys County
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Lauderdale County
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Lawrence County
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Lincoln County
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Loudon County
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McMinn County
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Polk County
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Scott County
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Sevier County
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Union County
"We are proud of the program's success so far, but we know there is more
work to do," said Roy Vaughn, executive director of the BlueCross
BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation. "It's exciting to have these
new communities join the fight to combat one of the state's most
concerning public health issues."
In addition, CLD partnered with the Tennessee Department of Environment
and Conservation to locate a drug disposal drop box in all 95 counties.
For more information on joining Count It! Lock It! Drop It!™ or to
locate a drop box, visit www.countitlockitdropit.org.
About BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health
Foundation, Inc. The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
Health Foundation, Inc., was established in December 2003 as a 501(c)(3)
not-for-profit corporation organized to promote the philanthropic
mission of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. The foundation awards
grants focused on high-impact initiatives across the state, which
promote healthy lifestyle choices and help control health care costs for
all Tennessee residents. Working with civic and economic partners, the
foundation is dedicated to the support of research, innovative programs
and creative approaches to improve the health and quality of life of
Tennesseans for generations to come.
About BlueCross® BlueCross
BlueShield of Tennessee's mission is to provide peace of mind through
better health. Founded in 1945, the Chattanooga-based company is focused
on serving more than 3.4 million members in Tennessee and across the
country. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent
licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information,
visit the company's website at bcbst.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170818005530/en/
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