A medication that can prevent drug overdose deaths will be available without a prescription at Duane Reade and Walgreens pharmacies in New York beginning Monday.
Mayor de Blasio pushed for the change as part of an effort to combat painkiller overdose deaths. It and other measures were unveiled in December as part of the city's ThriveNYC mental health initiative.
At the time, the mayor said that city pharmacies would make the drug available. Walgreen Co. confirmed Sunday that it would be instituting the policy the following day.
The city has also announced it's authorizing 1,000 new providers to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication that stops opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
City health officials said in December that overdose deaths from painkillers and heroin and have increased by 56 percent since 2010.
Opioid addiction, often associated with the nation's suburbs and rural areas, has become a scourge on Staten Island, the most suburban-like area in New York City.
