Walgreens now selling nasal spray that can stop an opioid overdose

Walgreens has announced that it will start selling a nasal spray that can save a life in the middle of an opioid overdose.

Georgia had 1,302 fatal overdoses mostly caused by opioids in 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In 2016, metro Atlanta alone saw more than 1,200 opiod overdose deaths, according to County Health Rankings and University of Wisconsin Population Health institute.

The chemical in the spray is naloxone, but it will be sold under the brand name "Narcan" at 8,000 stores without need for a prescription.

The company announced this Tuesday, a couple days before President Donald Trump officially declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency.

That declaration essentially allows the administration more options for fighting the spread of the drug. It doesn’t automatically start putting money to use. The decision of how much money, where it comes from and how it is used still needs to be determined.

“This effort, combined with the opportunity for patients and caregivers to obtain Narcan Nasal Spray without an individual prescription in 45 states, is critical in combating this crisis,” said Seamus Mulligan, CEO of Narcan’s manufacturer Adapt Pharma.