Breezy Explainer: Over-the-counter Narcan approved by FDA to reverse overdoses- All about it

On March 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the over-the-counter selling of Narcan nasal spray, an anti-narcotic. This implies that Americans won’t need to present a prescription to purchase Narcan from any drugstore counter.

What is Narcan?

An anti-narcotic drug called Narcan effectively undoes the symptoms of an opioid overdose. It is an accepted drug for the treatment of opiate overdose.

Individuals who are opioid dependent may experience symptoms from using Narcan nasal spray, including body aches, diarrhea, increased heart rate (tachycardia), fever, runny nose, sneezing, sweating, yawning, nausea or vomiting, anxiety, restlessness or irritability, shivering or trembling, abdominal cramps, weakness, and elevated blood pressure.

FDA approves over-the-counter Narcan- Here’s what it means

It implies that Americans will be able to purchase anti-narcotic medication online as well as from locations like drug shops, convenience stores, grocery stores, and gas stations.

The anti-narcotic drug’s accessibility, though, raises questions as it transitions from a prescription to over-the-counter status.

While addressing these concerns, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that it will work with “all stakeholders to help facilitate the continued availability of naloxone nasal spray products during the time needed to implement the Narcan switch from prescription to OTC status, which may take months”. 

“We encourage the manufacturer to make accessibility to the product a priority by making it available as soon as possible and at an affordable price,” FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf said in an official statement.  

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first authorized Narcan nasal spray in 2015 for use as a prescribed medication. Its recommendation for marketing without a prescription was “unanimously” approved last month by an advisory group of FDA officials.

According to the most recent statistics available, drug overdose causes over 100,000 fatalities annually in the United States.