narcan

What is Narcan?

From the FDA label:USES to “revive” someone during an overdose from many prescription pain medications or street drugs such as heroin this medicine can save a life

How to use

Warnings

How long does Naloxone Hydrochloride stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of naloxone hydrochloride is 30 to 81 minutes (mean 64 ± 12 minutes) — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. This is the serum elimination half-life in adults with normal organ function; naloxone is metabolized in the liver by glucuronide conjugation (major metabolite naloxone-3-glucuronide, which is inactive) and excreted in urine. The half-life is much longer in neonates (mean 3.1 ± 0.5 hours). Because naloxone's half-life is short — often shorter than that of the opioids it reverses — its effects can wear off before the opioid does, so repeat dosing may be needed. Half-life is a pharmacokinetic elimination measure, not a drug-test detection window.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: NALOXONE HYDROCHLORIDE injection — DailyMed FDA label.

Frequently asked questions

What does Narcan treat?

Narcan (Naloxone Hydrochloride) may be used to treat opioid-related disorders, respiration disorders, septic shock, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.

How does Narcan work?

Narcan is a opioid antagonist. Opioid antagonists attach to the same brain and body receptors that opioids use, but without switching them on. By occupying those receptors, they block opioids from binding and can rapidly reverse an overdose or curb opioid cravings.

How much does Narcan cost?

Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $4.41 per ml, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.

Is there a coupon or discount for Narcan?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Narcan. To pay less, look for a store-brand version with the same active ingredient (Naloxone Hydrochloride), which is typically cheaper, and compare unit prices. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.

Who makes Narcan?

Narcan is marketed by Emergent. You can see Emergent's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Narcan a brand-name or generic drug?

Narcan is a brand-name product with the active ingredient Naloxone Hydrochloride. Lower-cost generic equivalents containing Naloxone Hydrochloride are available — ask your pharmacist.

Is Narcan available over the counter?

Yes. Narcan is an over-the-counter (OTC) product — you can buy it without a prescription. Follow the label directions and ask a pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's right for you.

What forms does Narcan come in?

Narcan is currently marketed as spray/inhaler, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.

What class of drug is Narcan?

Narcan is classified as opioid antagonist, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.

Is Narcan FDA-registered?

Narcan is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number NDA208411. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Is Narcan safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict, and we don't yet have a composite recall-safety score for Narcan. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings below, and always consult a licensed professional.