HCA Virginia collects 1,522 pounds of medication during "Crush the Crisis" event

HCA Virginia collected 1,522 pounds of medications during HCA Healthcare’s seventh annual “Crush the Crisis” prescription drug take back day on Oct. 25, 2025.

Working alongside local law enforcement officers, the healthcare system invited community members to safely and anonymously dispose of their unused and expired medications. The event aligned with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and helped raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug misuse.  

“Prescription drug misuse is a significant public health challenge and we are proud to partner with law enforcement each year to provide a safe way to dispose of medication,” said Dr. Ray Makhoul, HCA Healthcare Capital Division chief medical officer.

HCA Healthcare uses data from approximately 37 million annual patient encounters to help continuously improve care. As a part of HCA Healthcare, HCA Virginia 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 prescription pain reliever-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. 

This year, all 15 HCA Healthcare U.S. divisions participated in the “Crush the Crisis” prescription drug take back day at more than 140 collection sites across 15 states.