DES MOINES, Iowa, March 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, CVS Health
officials (NYSE: CVS) joined Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Department of Public Health
Director Gerd Clabaugh and Office of
Drug Control Policy Director Steve
Lukan in announcing the availability of the opioid
overdose-reversal medicine naloxone without a prescription at all
CVS Pharmacy locations in Iowa. CVS Health has established a
standing order with physicians in Iowa that allows CVS Pharmacy to expand access
to the medication in the state.
"Naloxone is a safe and effective antidote to opioid overdoses
and by expanding access to this medication in our Iowa 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 support expanding naloxone availability to give more people a
chance to get the help they need for recovery and we applaud the
State of Iowa for their leadership
in the fight against drug abuse and addiction."
"Thanks to action we have taken in Iowa, first responders, family members, and
others can now obtain and administer Naloxone more easily," said
Reynolds. "I want to thank CVS Health for partnering in our
multi-faceted approach to combat the opioid epidemic that has
affected many Iowans. We need to continue to work together to
prevent, treat and respond to this epidemic."
Today's naloxone announcement builds on CVS Health's
longstanding commitment to helping communities address and prevent
drug abuse. CVS Health has also joined with the Partnership
for Drug-Free Kids to create the Medication Disposal for Safer
Communities Program, which donates disposal units to local police
departments, providing a safe and environmentally friendly way to
dispose of unwanted medication. Police departments in
Iowa can apply to receive a drug
collection unit at www.cvs.com/safercommunities.
Additionally, CVS Health has launched digital resources on its
website CVS.com that give patients and families a single
destination to learn more about drug abuse prevention. And,
in 2015, CVS Health launched a community outreach program called
Pharmacists Teach, which brings local pharmacists to high school
health classes to talk to students about the dangers of drug abuse.
More than 200,000 students have already taken part in the
program. High school teachers and administrators in
Iowa can learn more about bringing
Pharmacists Teach to their school at www.CVSHealth.com.
With the addition of Iowa, CVS
Pharmacy now dispenses naloxone to patients without an individual
prescription in these 41 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, 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, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West
Virginia and Wisconsin.
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visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reynolds-state-officials-and-cvs-health-announce-availability-of-naloxone-at-all-cvs-pharmacy-locations-in-iowa-300431413.html
SOURCE CVS Health