BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginia and four other states will now have access at CVS Health to the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone without a prescription.
The company announced Thursday its naloxone expansion to the Mountain State, along with Alabama, Alaska, Illinois and Missouri, bringing the total to 36 states with increased access at CVS Pharmacy.
CVS Health’s naloxone program establishes a standing order with a physician in the state or utilizes pharmacists’ prescriptive authority to permit CVS pharmacists to dispense naloxone to patients without an individual prescription.
“By establishing a physician-authorized standing order that allows our pharmacies to dispense naloxone to patients without an individual prescription, we strengthen our commitment to helping the communities we serve begin to address the challenges of prescription drug abuse.”
Expanding access to naloxone is part of the National Drug Control Policy’s strategy to stop the prescription drug and heroin overdose epidemic.
“Thanks to efforts on naloxone like those announced today by CVS Health, more Americans will have access to this lifesaving drug,” said Michael Botticelli, Director of National Drug Control Policy.
The move to expand access to naloxone builds on CVS Health’s commitment to help communities address and prevent drug abuse through education, outreach and safe medication disposal.
Launched last year, CVS Health’s Pharmacists Teach program gives its pharmacists the opportunity to volunteer to speak to high school health classes about the dangers of drug abuse. More than 100,000 students have already been part of the program.
Recently, the company also announced a partnership with DoSomething.org to create a peer-to-peer prevention and intervention program delivered to young people via text message and online.
The program gives members of the community a safe and environmentally friendly way to dispose of unwanted medication and has already collected more than 47 metric tons of prescription drugs.
For more information, visit cvshealth.com.
— Email: [email protected]; follow on Twitter @WendyHoldren
