"Crush the Crisis" event to provide a safe disposal opportunity for unused and expired medications

Brooksville, FL — HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital is hosting a “Crush the Crisis” prescription drug take back day to help raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug misuse and the importance of safe and proper disposal of unused or expired medications. The event, which coincides with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back initiative, offers the community an opportunity to safely and anonymously dispose of medications before they fall into the wrong hands. 

Oak Hill Hospital, in partnership with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Department, Walgreens and Hernando County Community Coalition, will “Crush the Crisis” at Walgreens, 20020 Cortez Blvd, Brooksville from 9am – noon on Friday, October 24, 2025. 

National drug overdose deaths decreased by nearly 27% in 2024 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, prescription drug misuse remains a public health crisis in the United States. 

Since 2019, HCA Healthcare has helped safely dispose of more than 88,000 pounds of unused or expired medication. This year marks another milestone in HCA Healthcare’s ongoing effort to reach 100,000 pounds of safely collected medications. 

Law enforcement officers from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office will be collecting tablets, capsules and patches of Hydrocodone (Norco, Lortab, Vicodin), Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), Tramadol (Ultram), Codeine, Fentanyl (Duragesic), Morphine, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and Oxymorphone (Opana). Ointments, lotions, drops, liquid medication in leak-proof containers, vape cartridges without batteries and pet medication will also be accepted. Any medications will be accepted; however, needles, syringes, lancets or liquids will not be accepted.

As a part of their commitment to combat prescription drug misuse, HCA Healthcare, the parent company of Oak Hill Hospital, has worked with the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. 

HCA Healthcare uses data from approximately 44 million annual patient encounters to help continuously improve care. The organization uses the science of “big data” to reduce prescription drug misuse and transform pain management, with initiatives in surgical, emergency and other care settings, including:

• Enhanced Surgical Recovery (ESR): a multi-modal approach to pain management using pre, intra and post-operative interventions to optimize outcomes. HCA Healthcare’s ESR programs have demonstrated significant improvements in surgical recovery and patient satisfaction, including decreases in opioid usage.
• Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS): aims to stem increasing rates of opioid-related addiction, misuse diversion and death by making it more difficult for medication-seekers to doctor-shop and alter prescriptions. Physicians have access to aggregated electronic health records, providing data that will allow them to prescribe opioids judiciously. 

For more information, visit the Crush the Crisis event page or call toll-free number at (833) 582-1970.