More than 106,000 persons in the U.S. died from a drug-involved overdose in 2021. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this is estimated to be one of the country's leading causes of injury-related deaths; in most cases, these instances are related to opioid misuse.
Deaths from the misuse of synthetic opioids and stimulants have increased in recent years, and the unfortunate truth is that these numbers are on the rise. The United States makes up 4.4% of the global population and consumes over 80% of the global opioids. Additionally, overdose deaths accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with synthetic opioids being the main driver of this rise. Learn more about what drug diversion is and proper pharmaceutical disposal on our recent blog. Read more >
Stericycle is the industry leader in regulated medical waste disposal. They provide solutions for safe, eco-conscious and compliant management of sharps, hazardous and non-hazardous pharmaceuticals, as well as disposal of controlled substance waste to mitigate drug diversion. Additionally, Stericycle’s award-winning drug takeback solutions include Kiosks and Seal&Send® envelopes that allow healthcare organizations to provide consumers with safe disposal of unused medications.
This post is related to:
Drug Diversion Monitoring, Diversion Prevention Returns, Reverse Distribution
