PHOENIX, May 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney
General Mark Brnovich and State
Representative Heather Carter joined
CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) today in announcing an important step to
increase access to the opioid overdose-reversal medicine naloxone
by making it available without a prescription at all CVS Pharmacy
locations in Arizona. Pharmacists in Arizona will use prescriptive authority to
dispense the life-saving medication to patients without the need
for a physician visit to obtain an individual prescription.
Prevention advocate Cindy Sierzchula
and President of the Professional Firefighters of Arizona Bryan
Jeffries expressed support for increased access to naloxone from
the parent and first responder communities.
"Naloxone is a safe and effective antidote to opioid overdoses
and by expanding access to this medication in our Arizona pharmacies, we can help save lives,"
said Robert Marshall, Regional
Manager for CVS Pharmacy in Arizona. "CVS Health is dedicated to
addressing and preventing prescription drug abuse in the
communities we serve and we believe the step we are announcing
today will give more people a chance to get the help they need for
recovery."
"The opioid epidemic is an urgent public health crisis facing
Arizona and the entire country,"
said Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
"We want to ensure that Arizona
families who have loved ones struggling with addiction have access
to Naloxone because it saves lives."
"As a lawmaker, it's always rewarding to see the policy
decisions we make put into practice," said Representative
Heather Carter. "The main purpose
behind the legislation I sponsored was to get this medication in
the hands of a person who may have an opportunity to save a
life. I'm here today to recognize a critical step toward
achieving this goal."
Today's naloxone announcement builds on CVS Health's
longstanding commitment to helping communities address and prevent
drug abuse. In 2015, CVS Health launched a community outreach
program called Pharmacists Teach, which brings CVS pharmacists to
local schools to talk to students about the dangers of drug abuse.
More than 250,000 students across the U.S. have already taken part
in the program, including nearly 8,000 students in Arizona.
High school teachers and administrators can learn more about
bringing Pharmacists Teach to their school at
www.CVSHealth.com.
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 Arizona 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.
With the addition of Arizona,
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.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on
their path to better health. Through its nearly 9,700 retail
locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading
pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 90 million plan members, a
dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one
million patients per year, expanding specialty pharmacy services,
and a leading stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan,
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
https://www.cvshealth.com.
Media Contact:
Mia Garcia,
Director of Media Relations, Office of Attorney General
Mark Brnovich
(602) 339-5895
Mia.Garcia@azag.gov
Corporate Communications, CVS Health
Amy Lanctot: (401)
258-9216
amy.lanctot@cvshealth.com
Erin Shields Britt: (401)
770-9237
Erin.Britt@CVSHealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health