Overdose Reversal Drug Narcan To Be Available Over The Counter In September

Narcan, the nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses, will be available over the counter beginning in September, according to an announcement Wednesday from drugmaker Emergent BioSolutions.

Narcan is a brand name for the drug naloxone, which rapidly reverses overdoses from opioid drugs including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan for over-the-counter sale. Although it was previously only available with a prescription, many states and localities found ways to distribute the drug through health departments and other local public health programs, such as needle exchanges.

Emergent BioSolutions said Narcan will be widely available at pharmacies, grocery stores and other retail outlets beginning in September, and it will also be available for sale online.

A two-dose carton has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $44.99, and a public interest price of $41. The company said it has not raised the price on Narcan since its introduction in 2016.

“On the eve of International Overdose Awareness Day, we stand by our ongoing efforts with advocates, patients, customers and policy stakeholders to implement efforts that enhance naloxone distribution to all those in need,” Paul Williams, senior vice president, products business, said in a statement.

“Last year, approximately every seven minutes one life was lost due to an opioid overdose, and today it is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S.,” the company said, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pointing out that first responders can take several critical minutes to arrive in an emergency, the company said that keeping Narcan in a first aid kit can save lives.

“As a medical professional and mom who experienced the unthinkable and lost both of her sons to accidental overdose, I know you can’t put a price on peace of mind and there is no act too great to protect family,” said Dr. Bonnie Milas, Penn Medicine physician and professor of Clinical Anesthesiology and Critical Care.

Milas said that keeping Narcan on hand “is not a sign that your family has ‘a problem,’ in fact it shows you are prepared just in case. It’s like buying a fire extinguisher to have at home — having the power to save a life of someone you love, someone you know, or someone that may need another chance.”

Laura Lee Wright, Sober Activist and Author of “Beyond Sober: You Put Down the Booze Now What?” applauded the move.

“Addiction to opioids is as much an epidemic as any other illness. Why wouldn’t we want life-saving medication easily accessible to the general public?” Wright said. “Since drug and alcohol addiction touches nearly everyone in one way or another, it seems like we, as a society, would be more welcoming to ideas that save the lives of addicts.”

Wright said wider availability of Narcan could have saved the life of a man whose funeral she attended last year.

“He was a kind person with a drug problem. Because he was an addict and no one had access to a drug like Narcan, he died the day he accidentally overdosed,” Wright said. “If Narcan had been a staple in the medicine cabinet at his home, he might be with us today.”