Walgreens to Sell OTC Opioid Overdose Drug

Walgreens Boots Alliance, a leading US pharmacy chain, has introduced an over-the-counter naloxone product under its own brand. This new offering, known as Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray, is set to become available in all Walgreens stores by the end of May at a price of $34.99 per pack. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this naloxone-based drug in April.

Naloxone is a life-saving drug that can rapidly counteract the effects of an opioid overdose by restoring normal breathing. The United States has been grappling with opioid abuse for more than two decades, which has resulted in over half a million deaths, with fentanyl being one of the primary contributors.

Naloxone's origins date back to 1961 when it was patented by scientists at Sankyo Company in Japan and the University of Strasbourg in France. It received FDA approval for medical use in the US in 1971 as an emergency treatment for opioid overdose. Initially, it was used mainly by anesthesiologists to reverse the effects of opioids administered during surgery. However, as the opioid crisis worsened in the 1990s and 2000s, public health officials advocated for broader access to naloxone to combat the increasing overdose deaths.

Baltimore was one of the first cities to implement a community-based overdose prevention program in 1996, distributing naloxone to drug users. By 2010, around 200 similar programs had been established across the US. By 2020, all 50 states had enacted laws to enhance access to naloxone, and first responders, including police officers and emergency medical technicians, were authorized to administer the drug. Between 2016 and 2021, naloxone prescriptions surged by over 1,500%, underscoring its critical role in addressing the opioid epidemic.

Pharmaceutical companies have developed user-friendly naloxone products, such as auto-injectors and nasal sprays, to make the drug more accessible in non-medical settings. Kaleo's Evzio, approved in 2014 but since discontinued, and Emergent BioSolutions' Narcan Nasal Spray, which debuted in 2015, were among the first naloxone products designed for easy use by non-medical personnel. Narcan stood out for its ease of administration, despite being more expensive than injectable generic versions. This higher cost was due to the advanced delivery mechanisms, aimed at making naloxone more accessible for caregivers and bystanders during overdose emergencies.

Today, several major pharmaceutical companies produce naloxone, including Hospira, Teleflex, and Mylan. These companies continue to play a vital role in the ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of the opioid crisis by ensuring the availability of naloxone to those in need.

In summary, Walgreens' launch of its own-brand naloxone nasal spray is a significant step in making this crucial medication more widely accessible. With the opioid epidemic showing no signs of abating, the availability of over-the-counter naloxone could potentially save countless lives by providing an effective means to reverse opioid overdoses swiftly.