conserving 06.08.17 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 50,000 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2015. 1 More than 60 percent involved an opioid. 2 We know that Americans from all walks of life are finding that prescription drug abuse is hitting closer and closer to home ; nearly one in three Americans report that they have been personally affected, according to a recent survey conducted by CVS Health. While abuse-prevention education and outreach programs are vital for curbing drug misuse and abuse, one strategy that can help communities address overdoses in the moment is ensuring access to the life-saving drug naloxone. What is Naloxone? Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is a lifesaving drug that blocks opioid receptor sites to reverse the effects of an overdose. 3 Over the past two years CVS Health has worked to expand access to naloxone without individual prescriptions in 43 states, most recently to CVS Pharmacy patients in Arizona. Increasing Access to Naloxone Saves Lives Many states have recently passed Naloxone Access Laws (NALs) that widen access to naloxone by providing specific statutory protections for nonmedical professionals to possess and administer naloxone without a prescription. This enables any person without a prescription to have naloxone and to give it to a person showing signs of an opioid overdose without having to fear legal repercussions. 4 According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), 5 states that have adopted NALs have seen a nine to 11 percent reduction in opioid-related deaths. This research underscores the importance of increasing access to naloxone as part of a larger strategy to address the impact of prescription drug abuse. Community Leaders Amplify Naloxone s Value During an event hosted by CVS Health, Arizona State Attorney General Mark Brnovich and State Representative Heather Carter joined CVS Health in announcing that naloxone would be available at all Arizona CVS Pharmacy locations without a prescription. Their remarks echoed the importance of naloxone in addressing prescription drug abuse and opioid abuse more broadly. The opioid epidemic is an urgent public health crisis facing Arizona and the entire country, said Attorney General Brnovich. We want to ensure that Arizona families who have loved ones struggling with addiction have access to naloxone because it saves lives. Representative Carter, a sponsor of the naloxone access legislation signed into law last year, added, The main purpose behind the legislation I sponsored was to get this medication in the hands of a person who may have an opportunity to save a life. Our Ongoing Work Opioid abuse is an epidemic that does not discriminate, and it continues to be an area of great concern and focus for CVS Health. There is no single cause to the problem, and the solution will require a multipronged effort including pharmacy, physicians, the pharmaceutical industry and government. In addition to expanding access to naloxone, CVS Health is working to help communities address prescription drug abuse through education, outreach and safe medication disposal: CVS Health s Medication Disposal for Safer Communities Program has donated more than 800 collection units to law enforcement partners across the country, allowing for the safe disposal of more than 100 metric tons of unwanted medication. This program offers an online search tool through which anyone can find a drop box location near them. Pharmacists volunteering through the company's Pharmacists Teach program have helped educate more than 250,000 students about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. For more information about our efforts in the fight against opioid abuse, visit our Prescription Drug Abuse information center . And to stay informed about the most talked-about topics in health care, register for content alerts and our bi-weekly health care newsletter . This article was originally published on June 8, 2017, and was updated to reflect current data on September 21, 2017. 1 Centers for Disease Control. 2 Centers for Disease Control. 3 The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 4 National Conference of State Legislatures. 5 National Bureau of Economic Research. Naloxone availability across the United States 4 6 See States Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin CVS Pharmacy patients in 46 states now have access to the opioid overdose-reversal drug, naloxone. Follow our commitment to drug abuse prevention as we increase access to the life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug. Related Articles CVS Health and POLITICO Examine the Opioid Crisis A quick and easy-to-understand explanation of one of the most pressing challenges in public health: the opioid epidemic. Tackling the Nation s Opioid Crisis: POLITICO Pro Health Care Briefing Experts weigh in with personal experiences and multifaceted solutions to addressing the opioid crisis in America. A State of Emergency: Integrative Approaches to Addiction and the Opioid Epidemic Moriarty discusses the power of partnerships in tackling the opioid epidemic. Related Press Releases 09.21.17 CVS Health Fighting National Opioid Abuse Epidemic With Enterprise Initiatives 09.12.17 CVS Health Makes Overdose-Reversal Drug Available Without Individual Prescription at CVS Pharmacy Locations in Kansas 07.27.17 CVS Health Makes Overdose-Reversal Drug Available Without Individual Prescription at CVS Pharmacy Locations in South Dakota 05.23.17 Attorney General Brnovich, Rep. Carter Join CVS Health to Announce Availability of Naloxone at All CVS Pharmacy Locations in Arizona 04.27.17 CVS Health Report Examines Public Perceptions of Opioid Epidemic, Drug Disposal Ahead of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day 03.29.17 Reynolds, State Officials and CVS Health Announce Availability of Naloxone at All CVS Pharmacy Locations in Iowa overseas
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