FDA considering making naloxone available over-the-counter

Experts with the Food and Drug Administration are considering making a nasal spray used for opioid overdoses widely available as an over-the-counter medication.

In what's considered a huge step forward in the fight against the ongoing opioid crisis, naloxone could be sold in places like big box stores, schools and gas stations, without needing a prescription.

Naloxone, commonly sold under the brand name Narcan, is a drug used to reverse or reduce the effect of opioids like prescription drugs, heroin and fentanyl. It can also be used in cases of overdoses when people have decreased breathing.

People in favor of the turn are trying to make naloxone more For Kelley Blas, a mother who lost her son to an overdose, the drug might have saved him.

"His name was David Steen, and it happened September 28, 2017. My 19-year-old son overdosed on oxycodone," Blas said. "Had he been found sooner and Narcan been available in his home, we always ask the question, 'could he have survived that?'"

Blas, who is the president of the Johnston County Angels Opioid Awarness and Support group, said while the news is monumental, she worries about access being limited by costly prices.

Doctors in the Triangle , like Michael Baca-Atlas, assistant professor of Family Medicine/Addiction Medicine at UNC, say the cost as of now is a barrier.

"This is really going to transform harm reduction efforts here in the state," Baca-Atlas said. "Someone going to the store to pick that up right now is going to be spending close to $100 or more, which really is pretty unacceptable when you think about the number of people having overdoses and dying everyday."

For Blas, who started her group after the death of her son and other children, said she hopes the smaller level outreach programs won't be affected if the FDA goes through with the decision, which could happen as early as March.

"We hope that this new over-the-counter FDA approval will not remove the option for grassroots organizations to receive Narcan and pass it out to the community," Blas said.

If approved, naloxone could be available over-the-counter by the summer.