By EMS1 Staff
MILWAUKEE — A local supermarket announced Monday that it will begin selling the overdose-reversal drug naloxone in its stores.
Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc. said it is one of the first chain pharmacies in the state to offer the drug without a prescription.
“At Pick ‘n Save, Copps and Metro Market, we want those dealing with addiction and their families as well as families of patients on high doses of prescription opioids to have convenient access to naloxone,” Kyle Beye, PharmD., BCACP and manager of clinical care at Roundy’s said.
Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, has become an essential tool for first responders when dealing with opioid overdoses. In 2014, Wisconsin experienced 853 overdose deaths, reported TMJ4.
“The ultimate goal is recovery,” George Kowalski, vice president of Roundy’s pharmacy, said. “Our hope is that a family member or loved one can be equipped with this lifesaving antidote to avoid overdoses.”