GETTING NALOXONE IS SIMPLE

Naloxone is available from your pharmacist without a prescription from your doctor and is also covered by most major insurance plans. It is available as an injection or nasal spray and is known by several names such as NARCAN® (nasal spray), Evzio (auto-injector), and by its generic name of naloxone. It is a drug used to reverse/block the effects of opioids. Naloxone is safe and effective, and has no effect on non-opioid overdoses.

Although naloxone is a prescription medication, Arkansas has passed laws to increase access of naloxone in the community and in homes where there are opioids present. Arkansans can obtain naloxone directly from a pharmacist under a Statewide Naloxone Standing Order or Collaborative Practice Agreement.

Anyone can purchase naloxone directly from a pharmacist without a doctor’s prescription. All major pharmacy chains (such as CVS, Walgreen’s, and RiteAid) stock naloxone, so it’s convenient for you to obtain today. If you would like to purchase naloxone, simply ask a pharmacy team member at your local pharmacy.  Please contact your health insurance provider to find out your coverage and co-pay requirements for purchasing naloxone.

Arkansas Naloxone Protocol

To reduce the morbidity and mortality of opioid overdoses in Arkansas, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson recently announced a standing order allowing Arkansas-licensed pharmacists to initiate naloxone therapy including ordering, dispensing and/or administering naloxone, along with any necessary supplies for administration, to eligible persons who are at risk of experiencing an opioid-related overdose, or who are family members, friends, or others who are in a position to assist a person at risk of experiencing an opioid related overdose.

This standing order was issued pursuant to Act 284 of 2017 (SB 142) (Arkansas Code § 17-92- 101(16)) to authorize licensed pharmacists in Arkansas to order, dispense and/or administer naloxone according to the provisions of Arkansas Code § 17-92-101(16) and the requirements of this standing order.

Known by several names-NARCAN®, Evzio®, Naloxone-naloxone is an Opioid Antagonist, meaning that it is a drug used to reverse/block the effects of opioids. Naloxone is safe and effective, and has no effect on non-opioid overdoses.

The Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy has compiled a variety of resources to assist in this initiative, including a copy of the protocol that pharmacists should use in naloxone distribution, a PowerPoint presentation detailing the opioid epidemic nationally and in our state, and a link to video footage of Governor Hutchinson’s press conference announcing this standing order. The completed list of resources can be found here: https://www.pharmacyboard.arkansas.gov/naloxone.