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Anti-Overdose Drug Now Available At Texas Walgreens

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NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - An over-dose reversal drug called Naloxone, often known by the brand name Narcan is now available over the counter in Texas.

Walgreens
(credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Available as a nasal spray, a pre-loaded injectable shot or in a vial easily administered by syringe, Narcan is in Walgreen stores statewide. Until now the it was only available by prescription.

The drug reverses the effects of an overdose by blocking the brain's opioid receptors. It's not a cure but it does create a window of time where someone who might otherwise die can instead receive emergency care.

The death rate for overdoses in Texas rose 80 percent between 1999 and 2014.

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