At CVS pharmacies in 12 states, friends and family members of people suffering from opiate addiction will now be able to get the overdose reversal drug naloxone without a prescription, the company announced Wednesday. CVS has already similarly expanded access to naloxone in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, meaning CVS pharmacies in 14 states now allow nonprescription purchases of naloxone.
"Over 44,000 people die from accidental drug overdoses every year in the United States and most of those deaths are from opioids, including controlled substance pain medication and illegal drugs such as heroin," Tom Davis, vice president of pharmacy professional practices at CVS, said in a statement. "Naloxone is a safe and effective antidote to opioid overdoses and by providing access to this medication in our pharmacies without a prescription in more states, we can help save lives."
Wednesday's announcement will affect CVS pharmacies in Arkansas, California, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin. Pharmacy boards in these states had previously been empowered to make decisions about offering naloxone without a prescription.
"While all 7,800 CVS/pharmacy stores nationwide can continue to order and dispense naloxone when a prescription is presented, we support expanding naloxone availability without a prescription and are reviewing opportunities to do so in other states," Davis said.
Smaller independent pharmacies and some larger chains have also moved to increase nonprescriptio
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