The national pharmacy chain Walgreens has made its generic version of Narcan available over the counter, and it's $10 cheaper than name-brand Narcan, and apparently already available at a few SF stores.

The tragic spike in fentanyl overdose deaths is not just a San Francisco problem, its happening all over the country. So lawmakers are keen to make the opioid overdose-reversal drug Narcan as readily available as possible, as the nasal spray whose technical name is naloxone is incredibly easy to use. But it ain’t cheap, as the version Walgreens started selling last September retails for $45 for a two-dose package.

But KRON4 reports that Walgreens has just launched their cheaper new generic version of Narcan, and it will be available over-the-counter and without a prescription. The Walgreens version is priced at $34.99, which still seems steep, but is at least some movement in the right direction.

According to KRON4, “the product is available online,” and “will be available in stores, chain-wide by the end of the month.” But SFist did a search on the Walgreens website (seen below), and this $35 Walgreens Narcan is already listed as available at the Stanyan and Parnassus streets store, the Divisadero and & O'Farrell streets store, and the Castro Walgreens at 18th Street.

“As a leading healthcare services company rooted in a retail pharmacy footprint, Walgreens is committed to removing barriers to naloxone access,” Walgreens senior medical director Dr. Priya Mammen said in a release. “As an emergency physician, I have for years combatted the devastating impacts of the opioid overdose epidemic and worked tirelessly to save lives. Expanding access to naloxone is a critical step in empowering individuals, families, and communities to act and be part of the solution. We must all confront this crisis head-on to bring change.”

According to KRON4, the generic Walgreens Narcan will be available "in the pain aisle."

In San Francisco, people can still get free naloxone from the city's Department of Public Health. You just need to stop by the Behavioral Health Services Pharmacy at 1380 Howard Street in SoMa on weekdays between 9 am and 6:30 pm, or on weekends between 9 am and noon, or between 1 pm and 4:30 pm.

GLIDE also provides free naloxone between 9 am and 1 pm, Tuesday through Friday, on the Taylor Street side of 330 Ellis Street.

Related: Narcan Everywhere: Haney Introduces Bill To Require Narcan In Bars, Gas Stations, Libraries, SROs [SFist]

Image: via Walgreens