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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
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."In a news release from the Department of Health and Human Services, HHS secretary Xavier Becerra said the action was a "strong step forward in advancing" the agency's overdose prevention strategy. "We can prevent overdoses and save lives by making naloxone more accessible, and at the same time, we can ensure equitable access to essential health care," Becerra said. The HHS will launch a department-wide approach to work with stakeholders to implement the change from prescription to over-the-counter status, the department said. They will also help "ensure appropriate coverage and continued access to all forms of naloxone." Nicole Sage, director of prevention services at Prevention Point Philadelphia, a non-profit that distributes tens of thousands of doses of naloxone annually, said that she "felt a great sense of relief" at the announcement. "What over-the-counter Narcan does is it continues to reduce barriers for anyone to have access, who wants a safe life," Sage told CBS News. "Over-the-counter Narcan is just removing additional barriers and allowing a greater subset of the population the ability to access Narcan." Sage said she would recommend people go to a non-profit or harm reduction organization to get training in how to use the spray, but most people should "be able to follow" instructions without additional education. There is no risk of overdosing yourself if you use Narcan to reverse someone's overdose, Sage said. "For a person who is in active addiction and using drugs, in order to do something different, you have to be alive, and Narcan gives you that opportunity," Sage said. "Reversing an overdose is about keeping people alive long enough to be able to make a different choice, and there is absolutely no risk to the person who is administering Narcan." Narcan nasal spray was first approved by the FDA in 2015. In Nov. 2022, the agency found that certain naloxone products have the potential to be "safe and effective for over-the-counter use." In Feb. 2023, an FDA committee met to consider the application to approve the nasal spray for over-the-counter use. Committee members voted unanimously to recommend it be approved for over-the-counter use. Another organization, the nonprofit Harm Reduction Organization, is seeking to get approval to have its version of naloxone nasal spray available over the counter. Jonathan
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