CVS Pharmacy offers nonprescription naloxone to New Hampshire residents

WOONSOCKET, R.I. - CVS Health announced Thursday it has made the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone available without a prescription at all CVS Pharmacy locations in New Hampshire. CVS Health has established a standing order with physicians in New Hampshire that allows CVS Pharmacy to expand access to the medication in the Granite State.  

 

"Naloxone is a safe and effective antidote to opioid overdoses and by expanding access to this medication in our New Hampshire pharmacies by the use of a physician's standing order for patients without a prescription, we can help save lives," stated Tom Davis,VP 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 New Hampshire for its leadership in the fight against drug abuse and addiction."

 

"The opioid epidemic has touched so many families in New Hampshire and across the U.S. and expanding access to naloxone is one important step in our efforts to address it," commented Marcia Lee Taylor, president and CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. "We applaud CVS Health for increasing access to this life-saving drug for patients without a prescription at CVS Pharmacy locations in New Hampshire and in many other states across the country."  

 

CVS Health has also launched 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 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 60,000 students have already taken part in the program.  

 

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. The program has already donated twelve units to police departments in the state and collected more than 1,665 pounds of unwanted medications in New Hampshire.  

 

In addition to New Hampshire, CVS Pharmacy locations in 22 other states can now dispense naloxone to patients without an individual prescription.