(a) Due to the recent rise in opioid-related deaths in Illinois and the existence of an opioid antagonist that can reverse the deadly effects of overdose, the General Assembly finds that in order to avoid further loss where possible, it is responsible to allow greater access of such an antagonist to those populations at risk of overdose.
     (b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a licensed pharmacist shall dispense an opioid antagonist in accordance with written, standardized procedures or protocols developed by the Department with the Department of Public Health and the Department of Human Services and filed at the pharmacy before implementation and are available to the Department upon request.
     (c) Before dispensing an opioid a pharmacist shall inform patients that opioids are addictive and offer to dispense an opioid antagonist.
     (d) For the purpose of this Section, “opioid antagonist” means a drug that binds to opioid receptors and blocks or inhibits the effect of opioids acting on those receptors, including, but not limited to, naloxone hydrochloride or any other similarly acting and equally safe drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of drug overdose.