Blackwood Pharmacy Distributing Free Naloxone June 18

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug, will be given away for free at pharmacies across the state, including Gloucester Township, on Tuesday, June 18, Gov. Phil Murphy announced.

The CVS at 701 College Drive in the Blackwood section of Gloucester Township will offer naloxone to anyone who visits the pharmacy on June 18, anonymously and without an individual prescription or appointment.

Naloxone will also be available at the ShopRite Pharmacy of Laurel Hill, 1224 Blackwood-Clementon Road; and at CVS at 589 Berlin-Cross Keys Road in Sicklerville.

Naloxone, frequently referred to by its brand name Narcan, works by blocking opioid drugs from binding to the brain, and can reverse and stop opioid overdoses. Further medical care is usually required after naloxone is used to stop an overdose. It can be given as an injection but most free kits are generally the spray version.

It will be distributed at a rate of one dose per person. It will also come with information regarding addiction treatment and recovery.

“The scourge of opioids continues to devastate families and communities across our state, and we must do everything we can to end the opioid epidemic,” Murphy said. “Through this initiative, people who are battling with addiction will be able to receive access to this critical medication and help them get on a path to recovery.”

The event is part of a pilot program that was approved by the New Jersey Board of Pharmacy.

“Naloxone is a critical component in our efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and save lives. Last year in New Jersey, first responders administered the drug more than 16,000 times, preventing thousands of deaths,” Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said. “By participating in the Murphy Administration’s pilot program to provide naloxone free of charge, New Jersey pharmacies are not only expanding access to this life-saving drug, they’re reinforcing their role as vital allies in the battle to end New Jersey’s opioid crisis.”