A box of 24 doses of naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, as seen at Arkansas’ Camp Robinson during a distribution drive for law enforcement officers in August 2023.
The life-saving medicine naloxone was approved for nonprescription sale more than two years ago, but many rural Arkansas pharmacies still keep the overdose-reversal kit behind the counter.
Of 15 pharmacies the Advocate contacted for this article, all but two kept naloxone behind the counter. Pharmacists and business owners said requests for the drug have been low or nonexistent among their clientele, and they haven’t thought of moving it to a different area. Others cited shoplifting and the drug’s expense as a concern; several said more insurance providers should cover the cost…