In a strategic move to curb the opioid epidemic across the U.S., Walmart, one of the largest retail store firms across the globe, has introduced DisposeRx, a pharmaceutical drug, which can transform opioid into a useful medicine or a biodegradable gel. The key officials of the firm have stated that the ingredients of its new product have already received the green signal from US FDA. Data statistics have revealed that in 2016 over 42,000 inhabitants in the U.S. had died as a result of the opioid overdose, which also included over-consumption of prescribed opioid pills such as fentanyl and heroin. It has been learnt that nearly 40% of the deaths due to drug overdose during the year involved a medical prescription.
Walmart has declared that patients filing prescriptions for new opioids at any of its 4700 pharmacies will get a free packet containing DisposeRx pills. It also further stated that its existing customers will receive one free packet of the medicine and patients with medical prescription for chronic pain will be provided with the packet of the medicine post a six-month period. As per the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reports, Arkansas’ prescription medicines are even available in the black market. In an effort to curb the opioid overdose menace, last year in September, the regulatory body had even announced an additional funding of nearly USD 28.6 billion for forty-four states. Earlier in July 2017, it had allotted funds worth USD 12 million to these states of the U.S. to promote opioid drug overdose prevention programs in the country.
Medical practitioners are of the opinion that the new drug DisposeRx introduced by Walmart is going to support and assist the medical fraternity in its drive to reduce the large number of deaths caused due to opioid drug overdose. They have further stated that the firm has offered one of the viable solutions for annihilating the hazardous effects of opioid drug on the human health.