The spray version of naloxone will be available for sale by late summer. Experts praised the move to make it more accessible as the national opioid crisis continues. But they are concerned the drug could be too expensive without a prescription.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved selling the overdose antidote drug naloxone over-the-counter, putting it on course to be the first opioid treatment drug sold without a prescription.
The spray version of the drug, sold under the name Narcan, will be available for sale by late summer, according to the drug’s manufacturer, Emergent BioSolutions.
Experts praised the move to make naloxone more accessible as the national opioid crisis continues. But they are concerned the drug could be too expensive without a prescription.
“This is a great step in making naloxone more available. It’s a critical tool for overdose prevention,” said Dr. Juleigh Nowinski-Konchak of Cook County Health.
The move could make the antidote available at corner stores, grocery stores and even vending machines, she said.
But it’s is not enough to address the national overdose crisis, she said. Overdose deaths in Cook County have broken records yearly since 2018. Last year, more than 2,000 people died from overdoses, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Naloxone “is a critical tool, but we also need other tools like overdose prevention sites, easier access to methadone, pass drug de-felonization and other levers as well,” Nowinski-Konchak said.
Walgreens said it’s already in talks with the drug’s manufacturer to sell the drug over-the-counter later this year.
It’s still unclear how much the drug will cost.
“If you can’t afford it, it might not be there. Will Medicaid and other insurers stop covering it?” Nowinski-Konchak said.
Making naloxone over-the-counter could help remove the stigma attached to substance abuse.
“Having it right there at the counter, available without a prescription, will hopefully reinforce that,” Nowinski-Konchak said.
The change could also help make the antidote more accessible to parents or partners of people suffering from substance abuse, who may not be aware of the options already available to them.
