FDA Backs Moving Opioid Antidote Narcan Over the Counter

FDA Backs Moving Opioid Antidote Narcan Over the Counter
Attendees practice administering Narcan during an overdose education and Narcan training class at the Onala Recovery Center on the South Shore of Pittsburgh on Dec. 13, 2021. Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP
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WASHINGTON—The overdose-reversing drug naloxone should be made available over the counter to aid the national response to the opioid crisis, U.S. health advisers said Wednesday.

The panel of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) experts voted unanimously in favor of the switch after a full day of presentations and discussions centered on whether untrained users would be able to safely and effectively use the nasal spray in emergency situations.