SEATTLE — Narcan, an overdose reversal drug, is now available in some major stores.
Emergent BioSolutions announced at the end of August that the drug was shipped to pharmacies, drugstores and grocery stores as well as online retailers. The nasal spray comes in 4-miligram doses and a two-dose box will cost $44.99, according to the manufacturer.
CVS customers can now purchase Narcan at cvs.com and through the CVS Pharmacy app. The company said it will "soon" be available at more than 7,500 stores.
Rite Aid previously said it will begin to sell Narcan early September but gave no further details. However, it was available for purchase online Sept. 5.
It was also available at Walmart as of Sept. 5, according to the company's website.
Narcan was expected to be available as soon as Sept. 5 at select Walgreens and available nationwide on Sept. 7.
Narcan's availability at retail stores follows approval for over-the-counter use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Narcan, the brand name for the drug naloxone, can reverse overdoses of opioids, including street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl and prescription versions including oxycodone.
Making naloxone available more widely is seen as a key strategy to control the nationwide overdose crisis, which has been linked to more than 100,000 U.S. deaths a year. The majority of those deaths are tied to opioids, primarily potent synthetic versions such as fentanyl that can take multiple doses of naloxone to reverse.
U.S. overdose death rates began steadily climbing in the 1990s, driven by painkillers. Waves of deaths followed, led by other opioids like heroin and — most recently — illicit fentanyl. Nearly 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, an all-time high, though recent data suggests deaths may be plateauing.
In 2021, almost 17 million doses of naloxone were distributed in the U.S., according to a 2023 report by the Reagan-Udall Foundation. More than 84% of those doses given were distributed by local health departments, first responders and other community organizations, the biotech company said.