Over-the-Counter Retail Naloxone Sales

Bradley D. Stein, Rachel K. Landis, Rosanna Smart, Phoebe Rose Levine, Abigail Kessler, Mark J. Sorbero, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula

ResearchPosted on rand.org Oct 3, 2025Published in: JAMA Internal Medicine (2025). doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.4590

At the US opioid crisis peak, fatal overdoses exceeded 80,000 annually; this number has recently decreased, attributed in part to enhanced naloxone availability. Individuals in the US historically accessed naloxone via pharmacists or through free distribution programs. In September 2023, naloxone became available without a prescription (ie, over the counter [OTC]). We examined first-year OTC naloxone sales trends independently and compared with pharmacy-dispensed and program-distributed naloxone.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: American Medical Association
  • Availability: Non-RAND
  • Year: 2025
  • Pages: 3
  • Document Number: EP-71116

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