CVS Health, Governor McAuliffe Highlight Availability of Overdose-Reversing Medication At All CVS Pharmacy Locations Across Virginia

"Naloxone is a safe and effective antidote to opioid overdoses and by expanding access to this medication in our Virginia 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 Governor McAuliffe and the State of Virginia for their leadership in the fight against drug abuse and addiction."

"Drug overdose is the Number One cause of unnatural death in Virginia, and it has been for the past three years," said Governor McAuliffe. "It takes the lives of more Virginians than motor vehicle accidents or firearms. Preliminary numbers indicate that about 1,000 Virginians died of drug overdose last year, including more than 500 from prescription opioids and 300 from heroin. So we know that this particular class of narcotic, which includes both prescription and illegal drugs, is the primary killer that we must confront if we are going to end this epidemic. CVS Health's decision to make naloxone available without a prescription at all of its Virginia locations is a welcome and important step that will save lives here in Virginia."

"Prescription opioid and heroin overdoses are killing our citizens, and we need to use every tool we can to fight that epidemic," said Secretary Hazel. "We are working to reduce the amount of available opioids, whether they are the kind that gets prescribed or the kind that gets bought on the street corner. We are looking to increase treatment options and trying to find ways to divert people who are addicted away from jails and into treatment. But having a drug like naloxone that can reverse a potentially fatal overdose is, quite literally, a life-saver. The more available it is, the more lives can be saved."

"We allow and encourage our first responders to carry this life-saving drug, and to know how to use it," said Secretary Moran. "But families and friends of people with addiction are often the actual first people to encounter a person who has overdosed. Making naloxone more easily available to them at drugstores like CVS is one step toward saving a life."

CVS Health has also launched new digital resources on www.cvs.com/content/prescription-drug-abuse giving patients and families a single destination to learn more about drug abuse prevention. These new resources build 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 local pharmacists to high school health classes to talk to students about the dangers of drug abuse. More than 75,000 students have already taken part in the program.  High school teachers and administrators in Virginia 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. In Virginia, 45 police departments have received units through the program, which have collected nearly two and a half metric tons of unwanted medication in the state.  And across the country, this program has collected more than 35 metric tons of unwanted medication.  Police departments in Virginia can apply to receive a drug collection unit at www.cvs.com/safercommunities.  

In addition to Virginia, CVS Pharmacy locations in 22 states can dispense naloxone to patients without an individual prescription.

About CVS Health

CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,500 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with more than 70 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, 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:

Erin Shields Britt 
Corporate Communications
(401) 770-9237
[email protected]

Brian Coy
Director of Communications 
Office of the Governor
[email protected]

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SOURCE CVS Health

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