This Must Be the Place and Walgreens Expand Access to Naloxone for Music and Art Lovers Across the Country

Rhea-AI Summary

This Must Be the Place (TMBTP), an overdose prevention non-profit, and Walgreens have partnered to expand access to naloxone at music and art festivals. Walgreens has facilitated the donation of 12,000 units of Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray, valued at over $400,000, to TMBTP for distribution at festivals. This initiative aims to educate attendees about the opioid crisis and overdose response.

TMBTP will have booths at festivals to distribute free naloxone kits and provide education. Walgreens offers naloxone at a lower price than comparable national brands in its stores, serving as a critical access point for its 10 million daily customers. This partnership aligns with Walgreens' commitment to addressing the opioid overdose crisis and improving community health.

Positive

• Donation of 12,000 units of Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray, valued at over $400,000
• Expansion of naloxone access to a wider demographic through music and art festivals
• Potential for increased brand awareness and positive public perception for Walgreens
• Alignment with Walgreens' strategy to leverage its network for healthcare impact

Negative

• None.

Healthcare Policy Expert

This initiative by Walgreens and This Must Be the Place (TMBTP) represents a significant step in harm reduction efforts for the opioid crisis. By distributing $400,000 worth of naloxone at music festivals, they're targeting a demographic often overlooked in overdose prevention strategies. This approach aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration's focus on increasing naloxone availability.

The partnership demonstrates a shift in corporate social responsibility within the healthcare sector. Walgreens, as a major pharmacy chain, is leveraging its resources to address a public health crisis beyond its stores. This could set a precedent for other companies to follow, potentially leading to more widespread naloxone distribution.

However, while this is a positive step, it's important to note that festival-based distribution is just one piece of a larger puzzle. Comprehensive opioid crisis management requires multi-faceted approaches including education, treatment and policy changes. The impact of this initiative will need to be measured against long-term overdose statistics to truly gauge its effectiveness.

Public Health Analyst

This collaboration between Walgreens and TMBTP is a innovative approach to public health intervention. By targeting music and art festivals, they're reaching a diverse, often younger demographic that may be at risk but less likely to seek out naloxone through traditional channels.

The initiative's strength lies in its dual focus on distribution and education. Providing free naloxone kits is crucial, but equally important is educating attendees about the opioid crisis and overdose response. This comprehensive approach could lead to more informed and prepared communities.

From a public health perspective, the potential for scalability is significant. If successful, this model could be replicated at various events nationwide, creating a network of naloxone-equipped individuals. However, it's important to couple this with efforts to address root causes of opioid addiction and improve access to treatment services for sustainable impact on the opioid crisis.

The retail pharmacy and healthcare provider facilitated the donation of 12,000 units of the life-saving medication to the non-profit for distribution at music and arts festivals this year

COLUMBUS, Ohio & DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- This Must Be the Place (TMBTP), an overdose prevention non-profit dedicated to keeping music safe, and Walgreens, the leading integrated independent retail pharmacy and healthcare provider, announced that access to the over-the counter overdose prevention medication, naloxone, will be made available for festival goers during a series of upcoming music and art festivals. TMBTP will have a booth at the festivals to hand out free kits of Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray, as well as educate festival attendees about the opioid crisis and how to respond to an overdose.

Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray will be made available for festival goers. (Photo: Business Wire)

TMBTP is a nonprofit who has made it their mission to make music fans safer. TMBTP travels from festival to festival to deliver free naloxone, a life-saving nasal spray proven to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses, to fans across the country. By facilitating the donation of 12,000 units of the Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray, equivalent to more than $400,000 of free product, Walgreens is helping the organization continue to deliver on this mission while also continuing to support the health and wellbeing of communities across the country.

“Walgreens is committed to removing barriers to naloxone access and our network of retail pharmacies is uniquely positioned to address the opioid overdose crisis. By working with TMBTP, we are able to reach and educate even more people about this life saving medication,” said Dr. Priya Mammen, senior medical director in the Walgreens Office of Clinical Integrity. “As an emergency physician, I have seen first-hand that overdoses can happen to anyone, regardless of age, background or other factors. Providing access to over-the-counter naloxone creates an opportunity for bystanders, friends and family members to potentially save a life. In the event of an accidental overdose, every second counts.”

“By harnessing the arts and the power of music, we are able to bring life-saving medication to populations across all imaginable demographics. From country music to electronic to pop music fans, festival attendees have proven time and time again that they want to be equipped with the tools to save someone’s life,” said William Perry, co-founder of This Must Be The Place.

“While we have been able to reach lots of people, there is still so much work to be done, and we’re excited this donation is going to be able to propel our work that much further,” said Ingela Travers-Hayward, co-director of This Must Be The Place.

“Far too many lives are being lost to overdose. Fortunately, we know what it takes to save people. The Biden-Harris Administration continues to make sure the necessary tools - such as naloxone - are quickly and easily available so anyone can respond to an emergency situation - anytime, anywhere,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Midwest Regional Director Michael Cabonargi. “Naloxone is a lifesaving medication and should be as readily available as first aid kits in all public spaces, from schools, to housing communities, businesses – or major events. This work will help to ensure these lifesaving medications are accessible and protects the millions of Americans that might need them.”

Walgreens offers naloxone at a lower price than the comparable national brand product at Walgreens stores, providing a critical point of access for the nearly 10 million customers and patients the company serves every day in local communities throughout the U.S.

For information on how to use Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray and frequently asked questions, please visit Naloxone - OTC Narcan Nasal Spray (walgreens.com).

Walgreens is leveraging its people, trust and footprint to enable the results that matter most in healthcare while delivering care for communities and value for partners, as it expands its reach beyond neighborhood pharmacies into the fastest growing areas of healthcare. As one of the largest providers of pharmacy healthcare services in the U.S., the company understands the needs of the communities it serves and is uniquely positioned to meaningfully impact access and affordability to healthcare services.

About This Must Be The Place

This Must Be the Place is a charity organization based in Columbus, Ohio that travels to large scale music events nation-wide and brings harm reduction tools and education to infrequent and recreational drug users, as well as bystanders willing to step in and save a life. They specialize in serving folks who have had limited access and societal barriers to life-saving overdose prevention tools like naloxone. This Must Be The Place merges the worlds of music, arts, entertainment and harm reduction, and brings overdose prevention tools and education to a whole new demographic. They have traveled all across the country to music festivals like Lollapalooza, Burning Man and Governors Ball. They have equipped countless tours on a wide variety of artists and worked with musicians on campaigns to help destigmatize the carrying of naloxone.

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the U.S. Retail Pharmacy and U.S. Healthcare segments of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail leader. True to its purpose of “more joyful lives through better health,” Walgreens has a more than 120-year heritage of caring for communities and providing trusted pharmacy services, and today is playing a greater role as an independent partner of choice offering healthcare services that improve care, lower costs, and help patients. Operating nearly 9,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Walgreens is proud to serve nearly 9 million customers and patients daily. The company’s pharmacists are playing a more critical role in healthcare than ever before, providing a wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services, including those that drive equitable access to care for some of the nation’s most underserved populations. Walgreens offers customers and patients a true omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and digital platforms designed to deliver high-quality products and healthcare services. Within the U.S. Healthcare segment, Walgreens portfolio also includes businesses in primary care, multi-specialty, post-acute care, urgent care, specialty pharmacy services, population health and provider enablement.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240808355658/en/

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FAQ

What is the partnership between Walgreens (WBA) and This Must Be the Place?

Walgreens (WBA) has partnered with This Must Be the Place to donate 12,000 units of Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray for distribution at music and art festivals, aiming to expand access to overdose prevention medication.

How many units of naloxone has Walgreens (WBA) donated through this initiative?

Walgreens (WBA) has facilitated the donation of 12,000 units of Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray, equivalent to more than $400,000 of free product.

Where will the donated naloxone from Walgreens (WBA) be distributed?

The donated naloxone from Walgreens (WBA) will be distributed at music and art festivals across the country through This Must Be the Place's booths.

How does this initiative align with Walgreens' (WBA) business strategy?

This initiative aligns with Walgreens' (WBA) strategy to leverage its network of retail pharmacies to address the opioid overdose crisis and improve community health, while potentially enhancing brand perception.