National drugstore chain becomes the first to limit opioid prescriptions

investments that had been previously made to mitigate prescription drug misuse and/or addiction.

These are just a couple of efforts that will be implemented by the pharmaceutical chain to address the consequences of the opioid epidemic in the country. The pharmacy will also be expanding their prescription collection program throughout the country and adding thousands of new locations and kiosks for disposal.

Aiming to raise awareness, CVS is going to be boosting counseling sessions between patients and pharmacists as well as expanding their commitments to prevention and public education on the dangers of opioids.

These efforts in addition to the newly announced opioid limitations may be critical in curbing the national opioid crisis, considering that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recently announced that most people who have misused opioids in the U.S. last year used a prescription opioid painkiller rather than heroin — 11.5 million in contrast to 948,000, respectively.