Crush the Crisis collects 100 pounds of medications

IBR STAFF//October 30, 2025//

Staff from West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell and Caldwell Police Department collected nearly 100 pounds of unused or expired medications on Oct. 25. (PHOTO: WEST VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER)

IBR STAFF//October 30, 2025//

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An event aimed at collecting unused and expired medications added to a total of 88,000 pounds collected and disposed of since 2019.

At a Glance:

West Valley Medical Center hosted its sixth Crush the Crisis event in Caldwell.
Nearly 100 pounds of unused medications were collected for safe disposal.
HCA Healthcare‘s initiative has collected 88,000 pounds since 2019.
The event aligns with DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

On Oct. 25, West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell, in partnership with the Caldwell Police department collected nearly 100 pounds of medications as part of the sixth annual “Crush the Crisis” prescription drug take-back day.

The event was part of HCA Healthcare’s seventh annual event. West Valley is owned by HCA, which has been holding the event since 2019, which has collected more than 44 tons of medications in that time. “The journey continues this year as the company continues on the road to 100,000 pounds of collected medication,” a statement read.

The event also coincided with the DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which works to raise awareness about the dangers behind misuse of prescription drugs and how to safely and properly dispose of medications that are no longer being taken or are expired.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Welfare, drug overdose deaths in the United States decreased by nearly 27% in 2024, but prescription drug misuse is still a problem. The department also reported that 212 deaths in 2024 were related to opioid overdose in Idaho.

“Research shows a significant number of drug addictions and overdose deaths come from individuals accessing unused medications from family and friends,” a release stated.