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WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health has made the opioid overdose-reversal medication naloxone available without a prescription at all CVS Pharmacy locations in Washington state.
CVS said Wednesday that under a collaborative agreement with a doctor in Washington, its pharmacists can exercise prescriptive authority to dispense the medication.
CVS Pharmacy has nearly 40 stores in the state.
“Naloxone is a safe and effective antidote to opioid overdoses, and by expanding access to this medication in our Washington pharmacies for patients without a prescription, we can help save lives,” Tom Davis, vice president of pharmacy professional practices at CVS Pharmacy, said in a statement. “We are dedicated to helping the communities we serve address and prevent drug abuse, and we are expanding access to naloxone to give more people a chance to get the help they need for recovery.”
Besides Washington, CVS Pharmacy locations in 30 other states can dispense naloxone to patients without an individual prescription.
“The impact of drug abuse has been felt by our families and friends across the state of Washington. It is a crisis that impacts people of every age, income level and race and involves prescription medications and illegal drugs,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee stated. “I commend CVS for making the life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone available directly from a pharmacist, and for providing safe disposal options for unwanted medications. To address this epidemic we need the public and private sector working together on options such as this for our communities.”
