Protecting Communities
Our Commitment to Opioid Stewardship
Our Commitment Starts Here
The opioid epidemic continues to take a devastating toll on the health and economic vitality of millions of Americans. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, more than 6 million people in the United States have an opioid use disorder.
As part of our commitment, we established the Controlled Substance Stewardship Initiative to identify concrete, high-impact actions to help fight the opioid epidemic. The Initiative focuses on supporting solutions in three core areas:
- Stewardship
As an additional safety measure, Walmart offers an at-home opioid disposal product, DisposeRx, at no cost in all pharmacies nationwide. Patients filling any new opioid prescription at Walmart receive a free DisposeRx packet, and patients with chronic prescriptions are offered a free packet every six months. Existing Walmart pharmacy patients can also receive a free DisposeRx packet at any time on request
A significant number of individuals who misuse prescription drugs initially obtained the drugs from a friend or family member. Walmart is providing the community a medication disposal receptacle as a convenient, secure method for pharmaceutical disposal. As part of Project Safe-RX, Medication Disposal Receptacles are available at select pharmacy/club locations to dispose of any unneeded or unwanted pharmaceuticals from your home.
Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacists also have access to and use the controlled substance tracking tool NarxCare/LogiCoy in states that allow access. Our pharmacists are trained to check for indicators of potential concern before filling each prescription. NarxCare/LogiCoy, along with other tools, helps our pharmacists make better dispensing decisions. - Education
Walmart and Sam’s Club are committed to supporting education programs and initiatives aimed at curbing opioid abuse. This includes providing current resources to our pharmacists on pain management, safe prescribing and how to talk to patients about pain disorder and substance abuse disorder.
We arm our pharmacists with opioid safety information that is provided to patients when picking up a new acute opioid prescription. Pharmacists provide additional safety counseling about overdose risks and naloxone use to patients who might be at risk of overdose. These educational efforts for patients yields results. Patients are reaching out to tell us the information and tools we provided helped keep them safe – in some cases saving lives. - Advocacy
Given the scope of the opioid crisis and how it is affecting our communities, we believe state and federal laws must be examined to identify and implement solutions on a wide scale. Walmart supports the development and implementation of a national prescription drug tracking database that would allow all 50 states to exchange data within a centralized national database.
In addition, we support legislation in states and in Congress to require an up to seven-day limit for initial prescriptions issued for acute conditions and to require e-prescriptions for all controlled substance prescriptions.
Opioids are a class of drug that bind to opioid receptors in the body. This includes illegal drugs such as heroin and prescription pills such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine and others.
- Regular use of opioid drugs, even as prescribed by a doctor or medical professional, can lead to dependence and can have serious risks or side effects. Before taking a prescription opioid, it is important to be aware of the risks. It’s equally as important to educate your friends, family and children about the problems associated with the misuse of opioids, or not taking opioids as prescribed.
- If you have any questions about the proper use and disposal of a prescribed medication, stop by a Walmart pharmacy today.
Safe disposal of all medications – especially opioids – is incredibly important. One of the biggest sources of misused prescriptions is from leftover medicine that people keep in their medicine cabinets. Even if you and your family would never abuse medication, excess medication presents an unnecessary risk for family members, guests, or children who might open a medicine cabinet. To help, all Walmart pharmacies have a product called DisposeRx that’s available for free to our pharmacy customers. Talk to your healthcare provider about all of the disposal options available in your community.
Walmart is also providing the community a medication disposal receptacle as a convenient, secure method for pharmaceutical disposal. As part of Project Safe-RX, Medication Disposal Receptacles are available at select pharmacy/club locations to dispose of any unneeded or unwanted pharmaceuticals from your home. There are 1020 Disposal Receptacles across the country.
Detecting drug abuse early is the most effective way of preventing an addiction from developing. Signs and symptoms of opioid abuse can vary from individual to individual, but the most common physical and behavioral signs include withdrawing from social activities, sudden and dramatic mood swings, impulsive actions, risky actions, visiting multiple doctors to obtain more prescriptions, etc.
Naloxone is a medication that can stop an overdose and prevent death. Walmart and Sam’s Club are committed to having Naloxone behind the pharmacy counters of our stores and clubs and dispensing naloxone upon request, where allowed by state law. As an additional step, Walmart pharmacists provide Naloxone recommendations to patients who might be at risk for overdose in alignment with CDC guidelines. Ask your pharmacist about Naloxone when you pick up an opioid prescription for you or a loved one. Naxolone is also available for purchase over the counter.
Additional resources are available through Operation Prevention, a group formed by the DEA and Discovery Education, whose mission is to educate students about the true impacts of opioids and kick-start life-saving conversations in the home and classroom.
As stated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “many people don't understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. They may mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their drug use simply by choosing to. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or a strong will. Drugs change the brain in ways that make quitting hard, even for those who want to.”
Resources
Our nation’s opioid epidemic affects all of us, and we must work together to curb opioid abuse and misuse. If you or someone you love needs help, or if you’re interested in learning more about the epidemic and what you can do, below are resources to assist you.
- Concerned You Have a Problem?
Addiction is not a choice. SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
- Looking for Support?
- Need Help Talking to Teens About the Dangers of Opioid Misuse?
- Want to Learn More About the Opioid Epidemic?
