Opioid overdose antidote Narcan will be widely available over the counter next week

The opioid overdose antidote Narcan will be available over the counter in the coming days, a move that’s hoped to increase access to the lifesaving medication amid the country’s worsening opioid epidemic.

Emergent BioSolutions, which makes the drug, said Wednesday that shipments were on their way to major retailers, including Walgreens, Walmart, Rite Aid and CVS. It could also be available to buy online from some businesses this week.

Dr. Scott Hadland, an addiction specialist at Mass General for Children in Boston said the move to over the counter “will help to mainstream Narcan, to make it more normalized for people and their families to carry with them and have at home for safety, which is critical to reducing the rising number of overdose deaths occurring nationally.”

The cost of the drug, however — $44.99 for a box of two doses — may put it out of reach for some.

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Ninety-one people in the U.S. die every day from opioid-related overdoses, but there’s a tool that can reverse the effects of an overdose that more and more law enforcement agencies and paramedics are now carrying with them as part of their standing operating protocol. It’s called Narcan, and here is what you need to know about what it is, how it works and how to use it.

“Unfortunately, for many people who live with addiction or want to protect a loved one living with addiction, this cost will be too high,” Hadland said. “I know, because I see this in my own practice, in which medications that cost this much are simply out of reach.”

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