Hoboken Pharmacy Will Give Away Free Naloxone

HOBOKEN, NJ — A pharmacy in Hoboken will be giving out free naloxone on Tuesday, June 18, according to state officials.

According to the office of Gov. Phil Murphy, the initiative is taking place at pharmacies across the state. Participating locations will be anonymously distributing naloxone – which can potentially reverse an opioid overdose – free of cost. No appointment or prescription is necessary.

In Hoboken, the participating pharmacy is ShopRite Pharmacy of Hoboken at 900 Madison Avenue. See a full list of locations here.

State officials said:

“Naloxone will be distributed one dose per person on a first-come, first-serve basis. Naloxone can reverse overdoses from opioids by blocking the effects of opioids on the brain. People who obtain naloxone during the June 18 distribution day will also be given information regarding addiction treatment and recovery. Participating pharmacies have standing orders in place for the dispensing of naloxone. The one-day distribution of free naloxone is part of a pilot program approved by the New Jersey Board of Pharmacy.”

“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.”

“With more than 3,000 overdose deaths in New Jersey last year, the Murphy Administration is taking action to empower residents to help prevent overdoses,” New Jersey Department of Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson said.

“We are making the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone available for free on June 18 to help New Jerseyans have the tools they need to support their friends and loved ones and to give us every opportunity to save lives and connect people with opioid addiction to treatment,” Johnson said.

Sharon Joyce, director of the Office of the New Jersey Coordinator for Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies, applauded the effort.

“Through the board’s partnership with the Department of Human Services, individuals who need this drug will now have it on hand for immediate use during an overdose emergency of a loved one or stranger, when every second it takes to administer an opioid reversal drug could mean the difference between life and death,” Joyce said.

New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal said that access to drugs such as naloxone is “essential” to reversing the tide of the opioid epidemic.

“That's why I signed a standing order for pharmacists to dispense it to individuals and families without a prescription,” Elnahal said.

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