Ads raising awareness about the overdose-reversing drug naloxone will be appearing on the sides of buses around Albuquerque. It’s available over-the-counter now—but only at pharmacies willing to carry the medication.
Opioid overdoses, both from prescription painkillers and heroin, can be stopped by naloxone. That’s the message city and state officials stressed at a pop-up podium set in front of a bus shelter in Downtown Albuquerque. They’re trying to let people know that you can get it at most independent retailers right from the pharmacist.
Wayne Lindstrom, director of the Behavioral Health Services Division, said it’s been a little harder to get the big chain drug stores on board because of the stigma of addiction. "But I think initially, there was a sense of: 'Do we want those addicted people alienating our routine customer traffic, etc.?' But I think that perception is beginning to change."
Lindstrom said naloxone should be available at Walgreens within the next couple of months. There’s no word yet on whether CVS will carry it. And you can call 311 in Albuquerque for an up-to-date list of pharmacies that stock naloxone.