Kroger Pharmacies Will Start Offering Prescription Free Naloxone

On Monday, Kroger pharmacies officials announced that their stores will start selling naloxone without a prescription throughout West Virginia.

The Kroger company is a retailing company. Founded in 1883, it is based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kroger is one of the largest supermarket chains and retailers. It also one of the United States’ biggest companies.

Kroger’s operates in various sectors. It has multi-department stores and supermarkets. The former includes a food and drug stores combination. Their brand names vary according to state.

In West Virginia, they are known as Kroger pharmacies. And they will now be introducing a new feature. The change was announced on January 30. It was released by the company’s Mid-Atlantic Division officials.

West Virginia-based Kroger pharmacies will start selling naloxone without a prescription. This feature is already being used in the chain’s Kentucky and Ohio stores. These have been offering prescription free naloxone for almost a year. The change was introduced in early 2016.

Now, Kroger’s will be expanding this same service to West Virginia. The prescription free drug should be available in all of their stores. There are 34 Kroger pharmacies spread throughout the state.

Back in 2016, West Virginia adopted a new law. Its Legislature started allowing pharmacies to dispense prescription free naloxone. Since then, several pharmacy chains have already adopted the measure. Kroger pharmacies will just be the latest.

CVS, Walgreens, and Fruth Pharmacy are already offering such a service. And they just some examples from the list.

Michele Fountain offered some details. She is the Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic Division pharmacy clinical sales manager. According to Fountain, Kroger pharmacies will start offering a life-saving tool. This will start being available for anyone that may need it.

Fountain pointed out naloxone’s various uses. It could be a preventive measure for people affected by a chronic opioid pain management. This can develop based on various previous health issues. Injuries or cancer pains are amongst the more common.

Company officials stated that the Kroger pharmacists received an additional training. They were also offered extra guidance. As such, they should now be better prepared to dispense the medicine.

Prescription free naloxone pharmacies will still have some regulations. Pharmacists will still have to fill a request. This will be the same as filling a prescription. And they will still have to provide customer information. These latter will be offered medicine details and treatment options. They may be offered a device training.

Kroger pharmacies officials also pointed out the following. Customers should not waive away these consultations. The information offered by the pharmacists will benefit them. According to a coordinator, purchasing naloxone has an educational component.

This latter targets two main points. One is how to properly recognize and define overdose signals and signs. The other is the proper product administration procedure.

The educational component is also a law requirement. West Virginia laws called for the development of such a program. This had to include educational materials, documentation, and patient counseling.

Naloxone will be a prescription-free drug. At the Kroeger pharmacies, it will still be behind the counter. Those wishing to purchase the medicine will go through a slightly longer process. It will be somewhat longer than a routine prescription.

But the educational part is both required and should also be helpful. Naloxone is an easy-to-use, safe variant against possible overdoses. However, it does not substitute emergency care.

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