Letters: CVS decision will help overcome addiction

Opiate overdose kills more people in South Carolina than car wrecks or gun homicides. But while mournful crosses dot the highway and television sages yell over one another about gun violence, addicts die silently in motel rooms and their families write euphemisms like “passed away suddenly” in the obituary. Shame and guilt have kept these deaths off the political radar, even as the rate of addiction and overdose skyrockets.

Fortunately, this is changing. S.C. legislators passed the Overdose Prevention Act this year, providing first responders and caregivers with access to naloxone, a lifesaving overdose “antidote.” However, the law fell short by continuing to require prescriptions for naloxone, which other states have made available over-the-counter because it has no abuse potential.

To remedy this, CVS Pharmacy has agreed to provide naloxone in all S.C. stores without a prescription. This shows a genuine commitment to improving public health and lessening the harm caused by opiate addiction.

I am involved with a small grassroots organization called the Lowcountry Harm Reduction Coalition, which works to educate physicians, caregivers and addicts on changes to the law and developments in harm-reduction practices. We greatly appreciate the efforts of CVS because it allows us to get back to work in the community, instead of struggling with opaque legal and regulatory matters.

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 12:14 PM.