CAMP HILL, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rite Aid announced today that naloxone, a medication that can be used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, is now available at more than 360 pharmacies in Michigan and South Carolina without a prescription, subject to state regulations. Previously, naloxone, which can be administered by injection or nasal spray, was only available with a physician’s prescription.
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdose is the nation’s leading cause of accidental death, with opioids killing over 33,000 people in 2015, more than any other year on record,” said Jocelyn Konrad, Rite Aid executive vice president of pharmacy. “The opioid epidemic is a serious public health issue that requires immediate action, and that’s why Rite Aid remains committed to increasing customer access to this potentially lifesaving medication and raising awareness in the fight against drug abuse in the communities we serve.”
Naloxone is also available for purchase without patient specific prescriptions at Rite Aid pharmacies in 23 additional states including: Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Vermont and West Virginia.
To date, Rite Aid has trained more than 11,000 pharmacists on naloxone dispensing. Rite Aid is also working to expand its naloxone dispensing program in other states served by the Company where naloxone is currently only available with a prescription.
Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with more than 4,500 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia and fiscal 2017 annual revenues of $32.8 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company's website at www.riteaid.com.
