The national nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation highlights state policies and recent research related to over-the-counter (OTC) access to naloxone, a drug that rapidly reverses opioid overdose. A clue may be provided by a 2022 study linked in the brief that examines how pharmacies decided to stock the prescription version of the drug. The study identified that independent pharmacies, those in rural areas, and pharmacies in states with lower overdose rates or without expanded Medicaid were less likely to have it available.
