Walgreens increases naloxone access in 35 states

This year brought several new public and private sector efforts aimed at addressing addiction and overdose. Most recently, drug store chain Walgreens has announced that its pharmacies in 35 states are making naloxone available without a prescription. The program rolled out in New York and will expand to Indiana and Ohio later this month.

Ultimately, naloxone will be available without a prescription in more than 5,800 Walgreens stores.

Additionally, its pharmacies in 39 states will begin offering kiosks for consumers to dispose of unused prescription drugs. The disposal kiosks will be located primarily at locations open 24 hours. The initial installation began in California and is expected to be completed at more than 500 locations this year.

Director of National Drug Control Policy for the White House Michael Botticelli commented in the company’s announcement that such efforts demonstrate a private and public sector commitment to addressing the nation’s prescription drug abuse and heroin use epidemic as both a public health and a public safety issue.

States included in the medication disposal kiosk program: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin

States included in the naloxone program: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin