Life-saving drug now available at all ACME stores in Pennsylvania

BROOMALL, Pa. (WPVI) -- ACME has announced that NARCAN nasal spray will now be available in its pharmacies in Pennsylvania.

This initiative comes with its own set of controversies. But the people behind it say it's simply about saving lives.

There have already been dozens of drug overdose deaths so far this year in Delaware County alone.

What officials announced Tuesday is that by the authority of a standing order by the Physician General of Pennsylvania you now do not need a prescription to get NARCAN.

And so, effective immediately, all ACME supermarkets in Pennsylvania are making NARCAN available to the public.

The NARCAN brand of the drug naloxone is sold as a nasal spray and quickly reverses the effects of a drug overdose. In fact, according to the CDC, naloxone has saved more than 26,000 lives across the U.S. over the past 20 years.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan says the goal of this initiative is quite simple: "To keep the people alive, to keep these loved ones alive, to keep your child alive. That's the most important thing. From there we need to get them into treatment. But if they overdose, if they don't have the naloxone available, if the police officer is not carrying naloxone when they arrive at the scene of the overdose, there's a good chance that person dies."

If you don't have a prescription, two doses of NARCAN will cost you $155. Some insurance policies will cover it, but you have to have the person who might need the NARCAN with you to submit that claim.