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CVS To Offer Non-Prescription Naloxone In Florida

Pharmacy giant CVS says it will soon make the overdose-reversing drug Naloxone available at its Florida stores without a prescription.

Commonly known as “Narcan,” the drug quickly reverses the sedating effects of opiates that dangerously slow heart rate and breathing.  Naloxone is the primary tool for emergency room doctors and first responders.

Addiction specialists urged lawmakers earlier this year to make Naloxone available to the general public. Governor Rick Scott signed the legislation in March.

Now, CVS says it will begin selling the drug at its 878 stores in Florida in early July. A company spokeswoman says customers can expect to pay $90 for a two-dose kit that can be carried or stored for emergencies.

A Miami native, former WFSU reporter Jim Ash is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience, most of it in print. He has been a member of the Florida Capital Press Corps since 1992.