NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The fight against opioid abuse continues and soon you'll see a form of overdose treatment at your drugstore. It's a big move that's causing both excitement and concern.
In Metro Nashville, the number of deaths due to overdose has gone up every year since 2016. In the first half of 2023, 332 people have died due to overdoses in the first half of this year. For the first time, an opioid overdose blocker will be available over the counter as soon as next week.
The FDA approved the Narcan nasal spray for public use in March. According to data from Nashville.gov, in 2022 and 2023 when someone has died due to an overdose, over 75% of the time fentanyl was detected.
The second highest reported substance detected was cocaine at 42% for this year.
"In early September, you should start seeing it in the big retailers like a Walgreens and a Walmart. And as we go through the month of September, access and availability of Narcan will continue to spread to regional grocery stores, independent pharmacies and the like,” said Matt Hartwig with Emergent BioSolutions.
There is some concern about the price tag and whether people who need it can afford it.
A box will cost just under $50, and it'll include two doses.
'If it's going to be something if people don't have necessarily somebody in their immediate circle that they're concerned about. I think that $44.99 is pretty expensive,” said overdose awareness advocate Michelle Leopold.
In Nashville, the Metro Public Health Department partnered with an organization called Partnership to End Addiction for an auto text program that sends you notifications about spikes in overdose activity in the county. It's free and anyone can sign up for it by texting SPIKE to 1 (855) 963-5669 (855-9-OD-KNOW) and following the prompts.
