Naloxone can be used to reverse the effects of an opiate-related overdose.
CVS Health announced earlier this month it would make the medicine available without a prescription at all CVS Pharmacy locations across Ohio beginning in late March this year.
“Naloxone is a safe and effective antidote to opioid overdoses and by expanding access to this medication in our Ohio pharmacies by the use of a physician’s standing order for patients without a prescription, we can help save lives,” said Tom Davis, vice president of pharmacy professional practices at CVS Pharmacy, in a written statement.
Community First Pharmacy, a subsidiary of Hamilton nonprofit Community First Solutions, in January also announced it received approval to dispense Narcan, also known as Naloxone, without a prescription. The pharmacy is located on South Second Street in Hamilton.
Drug overdose deaths in Ohio increased from 2,110 in 2013 to a record-high 2,482 in 2014, according to the state department of health.
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