Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is a lifesaving medication that blocks opioid receptor sites to quickly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Naloxone is safe and effective, and has no potential for abuse. It’s also very easy to administer either intra-nasally or via intra-muscular injection, and requires just a few minutes of training from a doctor or pharmacist.
CVS Health has worked to expand access to naloxone without individual prescriptions in 50 states and the District of Columbia. CVS Pharmacists are able to dispense naloxone to patients without an individual prescription under statewide protocols that give pharmacists prescriptive authority to dispense naloxone.