Walgreens to sell heroin overdose antidote naloxone without prescription

[slimvictor]

Walgreens has launched a strategy to combat prescription drug abuse by allowing the sale of heroin overdose antidote naloxone available without a prescription.

The Illinois-based company will begin its effort by introducing medication disposal kiosks in more than 500 company drug stores across 39 states and Washington, D.C., primarily in 24-hour locations. Walgreens hopes the move will make the disposal of drugs safer, easier and more convenient, which could reduce the misuse of medications and the rise in overdose deaths.

Opioid antidote drug naloxone, administered by injection or nasal spray, can reverse the effects of heroin or other opioid drugs during an overdose. Walgreens made naloxone avaiable without prescription last week in New York and will introduce the program to Indiana and Ohio later this month.

Once the program is complete, Walgreens hopes to make naloxone available without prescription in more than 5,800 Walgreens stores out of its nearly 8,200. The company said it will work with drug regulators in states where a prescription is required in hopes to implement the program.


source:
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/20...-naloxone-without-prescription/1841455104982/

 

[thelung]

great news! there's a thread in a different forum about CVS starting to offer naloxone kits in its' stores as well. I think this is a huge step in the right direction as far as harm reduction goes.

There's one particular needle exchange in my city that offers Naloxone kits for free to anybody who wants one. They also offer things like crack pipe kits (stem, brillo, pusher), meth pipe bubbles, as many needles as you can carry, and everything else you could possibly need to inject whatever drug you plan on injecting. http://www.peoplesharmreductionalliance.org there's the link to their website if you want to check them out.