Where to Get Narcan (Naloxone) in New Jersey

In recent years, the prevalence of opioid overdoses across the U.S. has gained national attention. Like many states, the New Jersey government has made a concerted effort to minimize the number of fatalities related to opioid overdose.¹

One method of curbing overdose deaths that lawmakers in many states, including New Jersey, support is increasing access to naloxone, a lifesaving drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.² Naloxone can be obtained by the general public typically in the form of a nasal spray (Narcan). We’ll show you some places in and around Lafayette Township to find naloxone and training on how to use it, as well as some basic instructions on the medication. Finally, you’ll find a list of other harm reduction resources in New Jersey.

What is Naloxone?

Naloxone is a potentially lifesaving drug that has the potential to restore normal breathing to someone whose breathing has slowed or stopped due to an opioid overdose.

Naloxone works by binding more strongly to opioid receptors than the opioid drug that caused the overdose. In doing so, it knocks the opioid drug off the receptors and reverses the life-threatening effects of a heroin or painkiller overdose.^5,6 Naloxone will have no effect on someone that has not used opioids.⁶

Narcan is a nasal spray device that administers naloxone. Narcan is simple to use and does not need to be administered by a medical professional. However, it is critical to call 911 in the event of an overdose. The person will need to be assessed by emergency medical professionals since signs and symptoms of an overdose may return after the dose of naloxone wears off. After that, the individual could begin to reexperience the overdose effects.⁶

When to use Naloxone

Anyone that may be around someone who is at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose (for example, someone that misuses opioids or individuals on long-term opioid therapy) can benefit from learning to recognize the classic signs of heroin or prescription painkiller overdose.

The 3 main signs of opioid overdose, known as the opioid overdose triad, are:^7,8

• Constricted or “pinpoint” pupils.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Breathing problems or slowed or stopping breathing.

Other common signs of an opioid overdose are:^7,8

• Fingernails or lips turning blue or purple.
• Limp extremities.
• Gurgling or vomiting.

How to Get Narcan in New Jersey

If you’re a New Jersey resident wondering where to buy Narcan (naloxone) or learning how to use it, there are a number of places for you to go:

• CVS pharmacies. Naloxone can currently be purchased at CVS pharmacies in New Jersey without a prescription.³
• Walgreens pharmacies. All New Jersey Walgreens locations are providing Narcan nasal spray without a prescription.⁴
• Regional overdose prevention programs. New Jersey offers regional programs to guide at-risk individuals and their families and loved ones through overdose rescue procedures, and to provide them with naloxone rescue kits.
  • In Northern New Jersey, the program is called Morris County Prevention is Key (MCPIK). The address and contact information for this facility can be found on their website.
• The State of New Jersey Department of Human Services. The department website provides an overdose response training video on their website, which includes the use of naloxone as well as rescue breathing techniques.
• Narcan manufacturer. Instructions are provided in the “How To Use Narcan Nasal Spray” section of the Narcan website.
• Sunrise House Treatment Center. Our New Jersey treatment facility has provided training in the past on how to use Narcan to reverse an overdose. Our events page provides a schedule of any upcoming events, including Narcan training.

Online Video Tutorial from American Addiction Centers

Good Samaritan Law in NJ?

Sometimes, a person witnessing an overdose may be fearful to act because of possible legal repercussions. However, New Jersey state law protects people that attempt to rescue someone that is overdosing.⁹

The New Jersey Overdose Protection Act was enacted to help prevent overdose deaths by removing the threat of arrest for those who attempt to help in an overdose emergency. The Act protects “Good Samaritans” who, in good faith, seek medical assistance to help an overdosing individual. It grants these individuals, as well as the overdosing individual, immunity from arrest or prosecution for:⁹

• Purchasing or possessing controlled substances.
• Being under the influence of controlled substances.
• Failing to dispose of the drugs in their possession.

The Overdose Protection Act does not, however, grant immunity to a person suspected of trafficking or manufacturing illegal drugs.⁹

How to Respond to an Opioid Overdose

In the event that you witness what you believe to be an opioid overdose, you should:^10,11

• Try to wake the person. Call their name and/or tell them you are going to call 911. If they do not respond, try to physically stimulate them by rubbing your knuckles on their sternum or lips.
• Call 911 immediately. Let them know that someone is unresponsive and having trouble breathing. Give the dispatcher your location and provide detailed answers to their questions.
• Administer naloxone as soon as possible.

Follow the instructions provided on the package of Narcan nasal spray:¹²

• Lay the person on their back.
• Remove the Narcan nasal spray device from the box and peel back the tab with a circle to open.
• Hold the device with your thumb on the red plunger, with your index and middle finger on opposite sides of the nozzle.
• Tilt back the person’s head while supporting their neck. Insert the nozzle tip into a nostril so that your fingers touch the bottom of their nose.
• Firmly press the red plunger to deliver a dose.
• Remove device from the nostril.
• If the person does not respond 2-3 minutes after naloxone was administered and first responders have not yet arrived, administer another dose, if available.

While waiting for emergency services:^10,11

• Provide rescue breathing. If trained to do so, witnesses should begin CPR without delay. The Red Cross provides a list of training events in New Jersey if you would like to participate in in-person training.
• Position the person on their side with their knees bent and their airway open to ensure they won’t choke if they vomit.
• Continue monitoring the person. Stay with the overdosing individual and look for any changes in condition until emergency responders arrive on the scene.

New Jersey Harm Reduction Resources

Harm reduction refers to efforts aimed at reducing the harm of risky behaviors. While the approach is sometimes met with controversy and is sometimes shunned by proponents of abstinence-based programs, there is a great deal of evidence to confirm that harm reduction greatly reduces the spread of disease and the mortality rate of certain dangerous activities.¹³

One of the most successful efforts at harm reduction for drug users is the implementation of needle-exchange programs, which have been shown to dramatically decrease the infection rate of HIV/AIDS in locations that adopt these programs when compared to areas that do not provide needle-exchange programs.¹³

The availability of naloxone (in itself a harm-reduction practice) has been shown in at least two locations to reduce the amount of self-reported drug use. This is in addition to the many lives that have been saved by its use in overdosing individuals.³

New Jersey has adopted several harm reduction policies and provides many resources to limit morbidity and mortality surrounding opioid addiction. This includes the New Jersey Harm Reduction Centers (also called Syringe Access Programs), which:

• Distributes the following in NJ: naloxone, condoms, and sterile needles.
• Provide overdose prevention training.
• Provide education on safe injection, as well as the safe disposal of syringes.
• Treat wounds.
• Perform HIV and hepatitis testing.
• Provide vaccinations.
• Give referrals and linkages to physical health and mental health services, including addiction treatment.
• Provide reproductive health care resources including pregnancy tests.
• Are staffed by Access to Reproductive Care and HIV (ARCH) Nurses to prevent the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C from mother to child in at-risk populations.

The state also provides:

• A guide to the safe disposal of syringes.
• A list of locations that allow the safe disposal of needles.

New Jersey Opioid Abuse Statistics

While New Jersey has made efforts to reduce the amount of opioid overdose fatalities, there is still much work to be done. The following infographic highlights the extent of the problem.

New Jersey is just one of many states struggling with the epidemic of opioid overdose. Consider that:^13-15

• In 2020 in New Jersey, 3,046 people lost their lives due to suspected drug overdose.
• In the first 5 months of 2022, there were more than 1,240 suspected drug-related deaths in New Jersey. In the same period, more than 1.4 million opioid prescriptions were dispensed in the state.
• More than 32,000 New Jersey residents entered a substance use treatment program for heroin addiction in 2020.
• Fentanyl-involved overdose deaths rose from 42 in 2012 to 2,248 in 2019.
• In the first 5 months of 2022, naloxone (the opioid overdose reversal drug) was administered 5,717 times in NJ.

Opioid abuse has harms that extend beyond the risk of overdose. For example, opioid users, especially those who inject, increase their risk of contracting and transmitting infectious diseases. In New Jersey:¹⁶

• 4% of new HIV diagnoses of males and 17.4% of females in 2017 were attributed to injection drug use.
• An estimated 47,200 people were living with Hepatitis C (HCV) in 2017. (More than 86% of people in the U.S. living with HCV reported using needle drugs before their diagnosis.)

In 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced a “collaborative, comprehensive, and multi-pronged approach across several departments and agencies” to fight the opioid epidemic. The approach includes:¹⁷

• Increasing access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) for drug rehabilitation.
• Making naloxone more widely available.
• Providing more drug education and outreach programs.
• Strengthening social programs that provide housing and employment opportunities to at-risk communities.

Treatment for Opioid Addiction in New Jersey

Sunrise House inpatient rehab can help you or your loved one get sober and remain in recovery. We utilize evidence-based methods through several levels of care, including:

• Medical detox.
• Residential treatment.
• Aftercare planning.

Call an admissions navigator to start treatment today, or to learn about using health insurance to cover rehab or other ways to pay for treatment.

You can also verify your insurance coverage at Sunrise House by using the confidential .