(WANE) Drug overdose deaths have risen to an all-time high in the United States and the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics estimates that seven out of 10 of those deaths involve opioids.
A powerful tool used to reverse opioid overdoses is now available for sale over the counter. The FDA approved the sale of Narcan back in March and starting this month, it’s now available without a prescription in stores and online.
Narcan is a brand name for naloxone, and it’s been used by medical professionals and law enforcement agencies for years to reverse opioid overdoses. The version available over the counter is a nasal spray that works in minutes and lasts 30-90 minutes.
Walgreens began selling Narcan nationwide in a two-pack for $44.99 at its stores Thursday. WANE 15 checked three Walgreens locations Thursday, None had Narcan, however one had another brand of Naloxone and it cost $59.99. An official with Walgreens reached out to WANE 15 and said Narcan will be available in Fort Wayne in two weeks.
An online check of other major pharmacies shows varying availability:
- Target – available for sale online
- CVS – available for sale online
- Meijer – does not currently carry
- Kroger – no mention of availability on company website
- Walgreens – available in store and online
- Walmart – available in store and online
Consumers should check with individual stores for availability.
Walgreens has produced a video explaining how to properly use Narcan and how to stop an overdose. You can watch it here.
Correction: An earlier version of this story mistakenly identified another brand of Naloxone as Narcan.
