Google makes it easy to search for prescription drug removal sites – TechCrunch



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In order to fight against the opioid crisis, Google will begin to label the places where people can safely dispose of their prescription drugs. Now users can find clearly labeled drug disposal sites directly from research on topics such as "drug depot near my home" or "drug elimination".

These sites include a network of hospitals, pharmacies, and government buildings where people can drop off any medications they may have left after surgery so they do not fall into unused hands. As the company said in its announcement, more than half of the cases of prescription drug abuse begin with drugs that people find in their friends' homes and family.

Google worked with Walgreens and CVS, as well as with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Department of Health and Human Services on the new tool, as part of a broader review of the role that technologies can play in fight against the epidemic of opioids. The idea originated from a hackathon organized by the HHS to develop "data-driven solutions" to stem the flow of opiate abuse and dependence in the United States.

The new pilot project stems from an earlier initiative between Google and the DEA, which encouraged people to get rid of their remaining prescription drugs two days a year instead of letting them hang out in the cabinet to medicines. Popularizing the ease of drug elimination and making things easier are just one of the puzzle pieces of the opiate crisis, but it's an important element in that technology determines the role that She can play to face one of the most devastating public health crises in the United States. .

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