LOS ANGELES, April 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ralphs
Grocery Company has joined in the effort to help the communities
its stores serve combat the opioid epidemic.
Ralphs currently stocks naloxone, an opioid overdose-reversing
drug, in its 79 in-store pharmacies in Southern California. All Ralphs Pharmacies
dispense naloxone without the need for a prescription – making it
easier for families, friends, caregivers and those at-risk
individuals to have the drug on hand if needed to save a life.
The U.S. Surgeon General recently urged more Americans to carry
the lifesaving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid
overdose.
"Naloxone is an effective antidote to opioid overdoses. By
providing access to this medication in our pharmacies without a
prescription, we can help save lives," said Linh Lee, Pharm.D. for Ralphs. "We have
empowered our pharmacists to put this overdose rescue medication in
the hands of those who are able to help an opioid overdose
victim."
All Ralphs pharmacists providing naloxone are required to take a
one-hour training session to learn how to educate individuals who
might use the medicine and screen patients for sensitivity to the
antidote.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
an estimated 2.1 million people in the U.S. struggle with an
opioid-use disorder and rates of opioid deaths are rapidly
increasing.
Naloxone, which can be administered as a nasal spray or an
injection, helps a person suffering an opioid overdose wake up and
continue breathing. The drug must be administered while also
calling 911 for medical assistance.
In addition to offering naloxone in its pharmacies without a
prescription, Ralphs is hosting a drug take-back event at Leisure
World in Seal Beach on
April 28, in partnership with the
Seal Beach Police Department and
coinciding with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's National
Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
"Ralphs is committed to being part of the solution to the
problem of epidemic opioid and prescription drug abuse," said Dr.
Lee. "Our efforts to prevent medication abuse, including providing
naloxone, are designed to help the communities we serve become
healthier and safer for everyone."
Providing prescription-free naloxone is just one of many
services Ralphs Pharmacies offer customers. Other services include
adult and adolescent immunizations for Hepatitis A and B, tetanus,
meningitis, cervical cancer, pneumonia, shingles (herpes zoster)
and flu; customized medication reviews; prescription-free hormonal
contraceptives; smoking cessation; and cholesterol screenings. Free
blood pressure readings are also available.
To find specific Ralphs Pharmacy locations, or call
1-888-437-3496 or go to https://www.ralphs.com/topic/pharmacy.
About Ralphs
Ralphs Grocery Company is dedicated to
our purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit ™. We are more than
22,000 associates serving customers in 191 supermarkets across
Southern California. From the
company's headquarters in Los Angeles
County, Ralphs is a recognized leader in community service
and giving. Last year, the company contributed more than
$6 million to support education,
hunger relief, women's health and local nonprofit organizations in
the communities served by the company's stores. Ralphs is a
subsidiary of The Kroger Co., (NYSE:KR), one of the world's largest
retailers, based in Cincinnati,
Ohio. For more about Ralphs, please visit our website at
www.ralphs.com.
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SOURCE Ralphs Grocery Company