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Hy-Vee to offer anti-overdose medication in Missouri pharmacies

Posted at 12:20 PM, May 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-11 19:25:01-04

In an effort to combat the rising opioid crisis, Hy-Vee announced it will offer Naloxone in its Missouri pharmacies without a prescription.

The goal: save lives.

Naloxone is a drug that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses.

For example, it can quickly restore the breathing of a person who has overdosed on heroin or prescription opioid pain medication.

Naloxone can be injected or administered by nasal spray. And without insurance, the drug costs about $170.

In June 2016, former Governor Jay Nixon signed a bill into law allowing people to obtain Naloxone without a prescription.

Walgreens and CVS made similar announcements last year, announcing they too were offering the drug without a prescription.

Opioid Epidemic

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 1,000 people visit an emergency department every day for not using prescription opioids as directed.

Statistics show opioid-related deaths have become a growing problem recently, especially in Missouri. 

 

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