NASHVILLE (AP) — HCA Healthcare said Thursday that it more than doubled the amount of prescription drug medications it collected this year over last year at its "Crush the Crisis" opioid take-back day.

The health care system said in a news release that it collected 13,523 pounds (6,134 kilograms) of unused and expired prescription medications during the one-day event that took place at 95 HCA Healthcare facilities across 18 states. The Nashville, Tennessee, based company began the drug take-back in 2017 when orthopaedic nurse Sara Stedman organized an event at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. HCA rolled out the event nationally last year, collecting 5,887 pounds (2,670 kilograms) of medication.

This year's event took place on October 24, in alignment with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. It aims to educate communities on the dangers of opioid misuse and the importance of proper disposal of expired and unused prescription medications.