Walgreens to Start Keeping Narcan in Stock at All Locations

By THC Staff | October 27, 2017

 

Walgreens will begin keeping Narcan, a medicine that aids during an opioid overdose, in stock in their stores to help fight death from drug use. KHOU quotes Rick Gates, Walgreens group vice president of pharmacy, as saying, “By stocking Narcan in all our pharmacies, we are making it easier for families and caregivers to help their loved ones by having it on hand in case it is needed. As a pharmacy we are committed to making Narcan more accessible in the communities we serve.”

According to the Narcan website, the medicine is administered as a nasal spray, and it was developed to be used by first responders and family members so it could be administered in the home since that’s where most overdoses take place. Hospital care needs to be sought out afterward, but it can save lives in the meantime.

In an educational video, the makers of Narcan explain that opioids can cause respiratory issues that can lead to death. By taking Narcan, the medicine will travel to their brain and attach itself to opioid receptors, working to move the opioid molecules aside, and hopefully, waking the patient up.

KHOU also writes that Walgreens will work to educate customers who fill prescriptions for high levels of morphine about how Narcan is used.