CVS makes it more difficult for patients to get opioids

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) –

One of the nation’s largest pharmacies is making it harder to get opioids. CVS announced Thursday that it will limit opioid prescriptions in an attempt to fight the epidemic of overdoses. The company’s prescription drug management division, CVS Caremark, will now limit opioid supplies to 7 days for new patients with acute conditions. Pharmacists will ask doctors to revise their prescriptions when they appear to offer more pills. CVS will also cap daily dosages and only fill versions of the drugs that work for shorter time frames. The pharmacy giant’s CEO says patients often bring prescriptions for 30 or 60 pills when they don’t need nearly that many. Almost 90 million people use CVS Caremark to fill their prescriptions.