There is a new push by the FDA to approve the Opioid overdose treatment known as Narcan to be used by those who are treating those suffering from an overdose.
Independent advisors to the Food and Drug Administration recommended the approval of an over-the-counter nasal spray version of Narcan. If this receives final approval from the FDA, then the expansion of Narcan is highly likely. It may mean that the use of over-the-counter Narcan saves many more lives.
Emergent BioSolutions Narcan is the most commonly used treatment for overdoses, and the FDA is expected to decide on the approval of Narcan in the nasal spray form by March 29. This would allow people to purchase up to 4 milligrams of nasal spray without a prescription. The FDA does not have to accept the recommendations of the advisors it works with, but it is common practice for them to do so.
Elizabeth Coykendall, a paramedic at PM Pediatrics in Raleigh, North Carolina, is a temporary voting member with the FDA and stated: There is no reason to keep this as a prescription, lets get it out there and save some lives,. She believes that approval of an over-the-counter version of Narcan may help save many lives.
A spokesperson for the company that makes Narcan said the following: We have been working on distribution plans with key stakeholders like retailers and government leaders.
Jody Green, an official at the FDAs nonprescription drug division, spoke with the advisory committee on Wednesday and said the following:
If naloxone becomes a nonprescription product, it may be sold in many venues previously unavailable to consumers, including vending machines, convenience stores, supermarkets and big-box stores, just like other nonprescription products.
Sadly, the estimated number of Americans who have died of overdoses since 1999 in the United States alone has topped 564,000. That is a huge number, only growing by the day. There have been multiple waves of overdose deaths based on the prevailing drugs of choice by many in years past.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that Opioid overdose deaths increased by 17% during the COVID lockdown period. This is a troubling statistic that points to the fact that many people are suffering greatly from the experience of trying to deal with drug addictions that are causing problems for them. It is important to recognize this if we are going to do anything about it.
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