CVS Pharmacy Joins the Battle Against Painkiller Abuse
CVS Pharmacy is doing their part to help curb the nation’s opioid crisis. Starting in the new year, CVS is set to become the first pharmacy chain to restrict the amount of prescription painkillers it is willing to honor at a time, limiting patients to just a week’s supply. The change will go into effect as soon as February 1, 2018, reducing their customer supply from 18 days to just 7 days at a time. This change will take place at 9,700 locations across the United States.
In addition to the limited number of painkillers provided, pharmacists will also talk with customers about the risk of addiction as well as how to properly store and dispose of the medicine. Although the CDC believes most people who abuse prescription drugs receive them from a friend or family member, the aim of CVS’s new initiative is make the sharing of painkillers more difficult and easier to track.
By limiting the number of prescription pills that leave their stores, the nation-wide pharmacy is hoping to decrease the number of pills in circulation across the country. This isn’t the first time CVS has made changes in the interest of public health; in 2014 all chains stopped selling cigarettes as well. These changes are another effort among pharmacies, police, and politicians to fight back against the growing opioid crisis severely affecting many parts of the country, including south Florida.
With thousands of men and women falling victim to drug overdose across Florida, it’s important to find proper help before its too late. Counseling of Southwest Florida offers substance abuse treatment as well as mental health counseling for men and women in Naples, Florida. Call us today to find help for yourself of a loved one.
Casey is the founder and CEO of Portner Counseling Group (PCG), a counseling center in the Fort Lauderdale area, which specializes with issues related to drug and alcohol use. Casey has completed focused course work on the physiological aspects of drug addiction and human psychology, as well as received extensive training on the treatment of co-occurring disorders.