WOONSOCKET, R.I., Dec. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health
(NYSE: CVS) announced today that the opioid overdose-reversal
medication naloxone is now available without a prescription at all
CVS Pharmacy locations in Nevada. CVS Health has established a
standing order with physicians in Nevada that allows CVS Pharmacy to expand
access to the medication across the state.
"Naloxone is a safe and effective antidote to opioid overdoses
and by expanding access to this medication in our Nevada pharmacies by the use of a physician's
standing order for patients without a prescription, we can help
save lives," said Tom Davis, RPh,
Vice President of Pharmacy Professional Practices at CVS Pharmacy.
"We are dedicated to helping the communities we serve address and
prevent drug abuse and we are expanding access to naloxone to give
more people a chance to get the help they need for recovery."
The move to expand access to naloxone builds on CVS Health's
longstanding commitment to help communities address and prevent
drug abuse through education, outreach and safe medication
disposal. CVS Health's commitment to drug abuse prevention
education extends from online resources for patients visiting
CVS.com to a commitment to youth prevention programs. Launched in
2015, CVS Health's Pharmacists Teach program gives its pharmacists
the opportunity to volunteer to speak to local students about the
dangers of drug abuse. More than 150,000 students have already been
part of the program. The CVS Health Foundation is also working with
DoSomething.org to create a peer-to-peer prevention and
intervention program delivered to young people via text message and
online.
CVS Health has also joined with the Partnership for Drug-Free
Kids to create the Medication Disposal for Safer Communities
Program, which has donated more than 600 drug disposal units to
police departments around the country. 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.
"CVS Health has been a leader in the work of helping communities
prevent prescription drug abuse," said Marcia Lee Taylor, President and CEO,
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. "In addition to proper disposal of
unwanted medication, increasing access to naloxone is a critical
public health priority that allows patients and their families to
prevent opioid fatalities and recognize when people need help
working towards recovery from the disease of addiction."
With the addition of Nevada,
CVS Pharmacy now dispenses naloxone in a total of 37 states:
Alabama, Alaska,
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey,
New Mexico, New York, North
Carolina, North Dakota,
Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, Tennessee,
Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West
Virginia and Wisconsin.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on
their path to better health. Through its more than 9,600 retail
pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading
pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 80 million plan members, a
dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one
million patients per year, and expanding specialty pharmacy
services, the Company enables people, businesses and communities to
manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique
integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better
health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more
information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at
www.cvshealth.com.
Media Contact:
Erin Shields Britt
Corporate Communications
(401) 770-9237
Erin.Britt@CVSHealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health