Lt. Governor, Department of Public Health Deputy Director and Office of Drug Control Policy Director join CVS Health to discuss availability of life-saving drug
(DES MOINES) – Today, CVS Health officials (NYSE: CVS) joined Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Department of Public Health Deputy Director Sarah Reisetter 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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