Narcan, anti-overdose drug, is approved for OTC sales by the FDA : NPR

The opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan (shown here at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston in Charleston, W.Va., on September 6, 2022) has been approved for over-the-counter sales.

Lea Willingham/AP

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Lea Willingham/AP

The opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan (shown here at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston in Charleston, W.Va., on September 6, 2022) has been approved for over-the-counter sales.

Lea Willingham/AP

The anti-overdose drug Narcan may soon be available over the counter without a prescription, the Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday.

FDA approval of Narcan nasal spray – the brand name of the drug naloxone – means the drug could be more widely available in the United States as the country continues to battle an opioid epidemic.

“Today’s action paves the way for the lifesaving drug to reverse an opioid overdose that will be sold directly to consumers in places like pharmacies, convenience stores, grocery stores and gas stations, as well as in line,” the FDA said in a statement. .

It could take months before Narcan becomes available over-the-counter and the cost would be determined by the manufacturer, the administration added.

The specific dose approved for over-the-counter sales is 4 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray. Other formulations and dosages of the drug would still require a prescription, the FDA said.

The administration first approved Narcan nasal spray in 2015 as a prescription drug.