Diplomat Pharmacy Inc. will dispense opioid-overdose antidote naloxone without prescription to residents in Michigan via the company’s retail pharmacy in Flint.
Nalaxone is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for blocking or reversing the effects of opioid-related drugs. The drug specifically targets the drowsiness, slowed breathing and loss of consciousness associated with opioid overdoses. First responders across the nation often carry the drug, as well as caregivers for people with a heroin addiction.
“Protecting the health and safety of our patients is what we do,” Gary Rice, executive vice president of operations at Diplomat, said in a statement. “We are committed to providing access to lifesaving medication like naloxone in the communities we serve.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that more than 1,000 Americans are treated in emergency departments daily for prescription opioid misuse.
Pharmacists have been generating naloxone prescriptions for eligible people since a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services standing order in May. The department released the order to help those at risk of overdosing or those in a position to assist such a person.
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