Program, Sponsored by BlueCross Health Foundation Grant, To Prevent Opioid Misuse and Overdose

Lawrence County recently signed on to Count It! Lock It! Drop It! ™ (CLD), a comprehensive community program for prescription drug abuse prevention. As a CLD community, Lawrence County joins 58 out of 95 counties statewide aboard the educational and grassroots program.

In June 2016, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation approved a grant to fund the program’s expansion to areas identified as “hot spots,” which are counties with high numbers of prescriptions dispensed, overdose deaths and babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

The program suggests three simple steps that anyone can practice to keep their medications out of the wrong hands:

Count pills every two weeks to monitor theft and help ensure medications are taken properly;
Lock and store medications in a secure place where others would not think to look; and
Dispose of unused or expired medications at drop boxes or during take-back events.

“Prescription drug misuse has reached epidemic levels in the state of Tennessee,” said Kristina Clark, CLD project manager. “Becoming a CLD community is an easy way for local law enforcement and substance abuse prevention coalitions to encourage their residents to closely monitor their prescriptions, especially ones for opioids.”

Communities that have recently joined the program include:

Benton County
Carroll County
Claiborne County
Cocke County
Crockett County
Cumberland County
Decatur County
Dyer County
Fayette County
Fentress County
Gibson County
Giles County
Greene County

Hancock County
Hardin County
Henderson County
Humphreys County
Lauderdale County
Lawrence County
Lincoln County
Loudon County
McMinn County
Polk County
Scott County
Sevier County
Union County

“We are proud of the program’s success so far, but we know there is more work to do,” said Roy Vaughn, executive director of the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation. “It’s exciting to have these new communities join the fight to combat one of the state’s most concerning public health issues.”

In addition, CLD partnered with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to locate a drug disposal drop box in all 95 counties.

For more information on joining Count It! Lock It! Drop It! ™ or to locate a drop box, visit www.countitlockitdropit.org.

About BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, Inc.
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, Inc., was established in December 2003 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized to promote the philanthropic mission of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. The foundation awards grants focused on high-impact initiatives across the state, which promote healthy lifestyle choices and help control health care costs for all Tennessee residents. Working with civic and economic partners, the foundation is dedicated to the support of research, innovative programs and creative approaches to improve the health and quality of life of Tennesseans for generations to come.
About BlueCross®
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s mission is to provide peace of mind through better health. Founded in 1945, the Chattanooga-based company is focused on serving more than 3.4 million members in Tennessee and across the country. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit the company’s website at bcbst.com.