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MIAMI — This month, Publix Super Markets pharmacies in Florida are promoting the Lock Your Meds campaign of nonprofit group Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership to help prevent prescription drug abuse.
This month, Publix Super Markets pharmacies in Florida are promoting the Lock Your Meds campaign of nonprofit group Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership to help prevent prescription drug abuse.
Informed Families said Tuesday that all 622 Publix pharmacies in Florida will highlight Lock Your Meds, which educates people about the need to secure and take a regular inventory of their medications, properly dispose of unused and expired medicines, and spread the word to family and friends about prescription drug abuse.
During April, each Publix pharmacy in Florida will feature a Lock Your Meds stand-up poster on the pharmacy counter, and a Lock Your Meds message will be printed on all pharmacy prescription receipts.
In addition, the pharmacies will spotlight Informed Families’ website to encourage customers to take a pledge to "Lock Your Meds." Those who take the pledge will be entered to win one of five medicine safes, which have a retail price $120. The website also provides tips and tools about securing medication, a home medicine inventory card that can be downloaded and ways to help spread the message.
"While many parents are concerned that their children will get involved with street drugs, the most accessible drugs are found in home medicine cabinets," Robin Sistrunk, manager of integrated care at Publix, said in a statement. "In supporting Informed Families and the Lock Your Meds campaign, we hope to increase awareness of prescription drug abuse, provide simple ways to prevent it and ultimately save lives."
This is the second year that Publix Pharmacy has worked with Informed Families in the Lock Your Meds campaign. Last year, the campaign was promoted in central Florida Publix pharmacies.
The Lock Your Meds campaign was developed by the National Family Partnership (NFP), in response to the nation’s prescription drug abuse epidemic. Informed Families /The Florida Family Partnership is the Florida affiliate of the NFP.
"Every day, 2,500 teens abuse prescription pain medications for the first time," stated Peggy Sapp, president and chief executive officer of Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership. "It’s crucial that parents and caregivers are educated about prescription drug abuse, and we are very thankful to Publix, a wonderful corporate citizen, for partnering with Informed Families to deliver the prevention message."
Overall, Publix has more than 900 pharmacies in its 1,077 supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina.
