What is Narcan?
Over the years, the abuse of opioid drugs has claimed many lives in America. Experts have been exploring ways to minimize the impact of opioids on users. One drug that has been at the forefront of such efforts is Narcan, which is the best-known form of naloxone. The drug can reverse overdoses of opioids, including prescription versions and street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl. Majority of overdose deaths are related to opioids. The opioid crisis has been linked to over 100,000 U.S. deaths each year.
How will making Narcan available over-the-counter help?
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved selling Narcan over-the-counter allowing it to become the first opioid treatment drug available without a prescription. Making naloxone more available is seen as a key strategy to control the nationwide overdose crisis.
This decision will allow for Narcan to be easily accessible in convenience stores, supermarkets, and online retailers, where pharmacies are not available.
The decision to make Narcan available over-the-counter will help save many lives, especially since most overdoses are accidental. It clears the way for Narcan to be made available in places without pharmacies.
When will Narcan become available over-the-counter?
Narcan will be available over-the-counter by late summer but other brands and injectable forms will still require a prescription for now.
Will insurance cover Over-The-Counter Naloxone?
While pharmacies could sell naloxone without a prescription before the FDA’s action, not every pharmacy carries it, and buyers have to pay for the medication — either with an insurance copay or for the full retail price. It remains to be seen how many stores will carry Narcan and what prices they will be. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have not given any official guidelines on coverage for over-the-counter naloxone.
What other Naloxone brands can we expect in the future?
Several manufacturers of generic naloxone that’s made similarly to Narcan will now be required to file applications to switch their drugs over the counter as part of a requirement by the FDA. Emergency medical technicians have used intravenous injections of naloxone for decades, but it requires training they didn’t always offer, and recently has been in short supply.
More naloxone brands are expected to be available over-the-counter within the next couple of years, making it more accessible to people who need it.
The Need for Continued Accessibility
Advocates believe it’s important to get naloxone to the people who are most likely to be around overdoses, including people who use drugs and their relatives. Dr. Matthew Christiansen said Narcan and other forms of naloxone are not opioids themselves, and they are only effective on people who are overdosing.
The decision by the FDA to make Narcan and other brands of Naloxone more available is welcome news. Not only will it help save lives, but it will also reduce the stigma that surrounds Naloxone. One benefit of having pharmacists involved in dispensing the drug is that they can show buyers how to use it, including reminding them to call an ambulance for the person receiving naloxone after it’s been administered.
The nonprofit Harm Reduction Therapeutics Inc. already has an application before the FDA to distribute its version of spray naloxone without a prescription.
Emergent BioSolutions has not announced its price for Narcan yet, but FDA Commissioner Robert Califf encourages the company to make it available “at an affordable price.”
In conclusion, allowing Naloxone product approved for consumer use without a prescription is a bold move that shows the US government’s commitment to curbing the opioid crisis. It will help save more lives and prevent overdoses, especially accidental ones. This decision is welcome news for many Americans who have lost their loved ones to opioid abuse, and it gives hope to those who are seeking ways to deal with this crisis.
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