Medical City and police collect 1,500 lbs of meds in 2025 DEA Take Back events
Dallas Texas — Medical City Healthcare hospitals and local law enforcement partners collected 1500 pounds of medication as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 25. Since launching its “Crush the Crisis” initiative in 2019 to address drug abuse and misuse, HCA Healthcare and its hospitals nationwide have worked with law enforcement to collect more than 108,500 pounds of medication.
In collaboration with local law enforcement, Medical City Arlington, Medical City Dallas, Medical City Decatur, Medical City Denton, Medical City Frisco and Medical City McKinney / McKinney Police Department served as collection sites, offering community members a safe and anonymous way to dispose of unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications – helping prevent misuse and protect public health. This year’s success in North Texas was possible with the support of law enforcement officers from the Arlington, Dallas, Decatur, Denton, Frisco and McKinney police departments.
Medical City Healthcare participates in the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day as part of HCA Healthcare’s year-round “Crush the Crisis” program. Drawing on data from its approximately 44 million annual patient encounters, HCA Healthcare uses the science of “big data” to help reduce prescription drug misuse and transform pain management, with initiatives in surgical, emergency and other care settings including Enhanced Surgical Recovery (ESR) and Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS). HCA Healthcare also proudly collaborates with and provides clinical insight to the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Action Collaborative on Combatting Substance Use and Opioid Crises.
Additionally, permanent drug take back boxes are conveniently located in the lobbies of 15 Medical City Healthcare hospitals. These permanent boxes are compliant with DEA regulations and can be accessed free of charge, any day of the year – not just on a specific drug take back day. Learn more about the Drug Take Back.