Walgreens launches own brand of naloxone

Walgreens is expanding access to an over the counter medication with the launch of Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray.

The product, which retails for $34.99, can reverse an overdose from opioids. The product is currently available online and will be chainwide in all stores by the end of the month, where it can be found in the pain aisle.

Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray can be used in the event of an opioid overdose to temporarily reverse the effects of opioids (including heroin, illicit fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications (when administered in time, Walgreens said.

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“As a leading healthcare services company rooted in a retail pharmacy footprint, Walgreens is committed to removing barriers to naloxone access,” said Priya Mammen, senior medical director in the Walgreens office of clinical integrity. “As an emergency physician, I have for years combatted the devastating impacts of the opioid overdose epidemic and worked tirelessly to save lives. Expanding access to naloxone is a critical step in empowering individuals, families, and communities to act and be part of the solution. We must all confront this crisis head-on to bring change.”

Naloxone works by quickly blocking the effects of opioids on the brain, restoring normal breathing and preventing death due to overdose. Despite its proven efficacy, access to naloxone remains limited in many communities. Walgreens said it is offering naloxone at a lower price than the comparable national brand product at its stores to further enable access to this life-saving medication.

This launch follows the approval from the Food and Drug Administration.