Publix Pharmacy Stores to Educate Customers About Importance of Securing Medication to Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse in Florida
MIAMI, April 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — In an effort to prevent prescription drug abuse, in collaboration with Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership, all 622 Publix Pharmacy stores in Florida are promoting the Lock Your Meds® campaign in April 2014.
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The Lock Your Meds campaign educates people about the importance of securing their medication, taking regular inventory of it, properly disposing of unused or expired medications and spreading the word to family and friends about prescription drug abuse. Informed Families promotes the Lock Your Meds campaign every year in homes, schools and communities across the State of Florida.
To inform customers of the need to secure medication, each Publix Pharmacy store in Florida will feature a Lock Your Meds stand-up poster on the pharmacy counter, and a Lock Your Meds message printed on all pharmacy prescription receipts. The stores will also highlight Informed Families' website, www.informedfamilies.org/meds, as a place to take a pledge to "Lock Your Meds." Those who take the pledge will be automatically entered to win one of five medicine safes (retail price $120), given away statewide. The website also provides tips and tools about securing medication, a home medicine inventory card for download and ways to get involved 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," said Robin Sistrunk, PharmD., Manager of Integrated Care for Publix. "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."
"Every day, 2,500 teens abuse prescription pain medications for the first time," said Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership President & CEO Peggy Sapp. "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."
This is the second year that Publix Pharmacy has joined Informed Families to deliver the Lock Your Meds message to customers. In 2013, the campaign was promoted exclusively in Central Florida area Publix Pharmacy stores.
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.
For more information about the Lock Your Meds campaign in Florida, visit www.InformedFamilies.org/MEDS.
About Informed Families
A non-profit organization founded in 1982, the mission of Informed Families is helping kids grow up safe, healthy and drug-free. Informed Families focuses on educating, involving and empowering parents to work together to set boundaries and monitor their children's behavior to prevent underage drinking, substance abuse and other harmful behaviors. Affiliated with the National Family Partnership, Informed Families is best known for being the Florida Sponsor of the National Red Ribbon Campaign. Informed Families also boasts multiple school and community based prevention programs targeting youth, parents and communities. For more information on Informed Families, please visit informedfamilies.org, or call (305) 856-4886.
About Publix Super Markets
Publix is privately owned and operated by its 166,500 employees, with 2013 sales of $28.9 billion. Currently Publix has 1,077 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina. The company has been named one of FORTUNE's "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" for 17 consecutive years. In addition, Publix's dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized as tops in the grocery business, most recently by an American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. For more information, visit the company's website, www.publix.com.
Media contact:
Duree Ross, Duree & Company, Inc.
954-723-9350/ Email