Cost of Over-the-Counter Narcan Could Be Barrier to Use

Cost of Over-the-Counter Narcan Could Be Barrier to Use
A Narcan nasal overdose kit, given out free by the city of New York, is displayed as part of the Brooklyn Community Recovery Center's demonstration on how to use Narcan to revive a person in the case of a drug overdose in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Sept. 1, 2022. Spencer Platt/Getty Images
The Center Square
Updated:
0:00

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to give an opioid overdose antidote over-the-counter status could help as illicit fentanyl floods of the nation’s illegal drug market, but how helpful it will be could depend on how much it will cost.

The FDA’s decision means sales of Narcan nasal spray would soon be allowed at pharmacies, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations and online. Narcan, a naloxone product, is a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose. Naloxone is the standard treatment for an opioid overdose.

The Center Square
The Center Square
Author
The Center Square was launched in May 2019 to fulfill the need for high-quality statehouse and statewide news across the United States. The focus of our work is state- and local-level government and economic reporting. www.thecentersquare.com
Related Topics