Hy-Vee pharmacies are now offering over-the-counter the drug that can be used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. A state order allows Iowa pharmacies to go through training to be able to sell naloxone without a prescription. The director of prevention services at the Area Substance Abuse Council in Cedar Rapids, Erin Foster, says Hy-Vee’s decision is a good start to making sure naloxone is available to those who need it.

“If someone wanted to obtain naloxone before the standing order, they actually would need to go to a medical provider and get a prescription for it. It kind of takes that barrier out of going and talking to a medical provider, which we know there’s a stigma against substance use,”Foster says. Foster says the pharmacies appear to be slow in moving on this.

“Our agency actually did a quick survey not too long ago to see who was actually utilizing the state standing order, and sadly not too many pharmacies had jumped on board with that yet,”Foster says. She says two doses of naloxone in the Cedar Rapids area can cost between 140 and 280-dollars. She says people still need to seek immediate medical treatment after using the drug.

(Radio Iowa)