Over-the-counter Narcan nasal spray to soon be available

JACKSON, Tenn. — On March 29, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a Narcan nasal spray called Naloxone.

According to Overdose Prevention Specialist Chandler Haynes, the four milligram Narcan nasal spray is an opioid reversal medication, which competes with opioids for receptors within a person’s brain to reverse the effects of the drug.

“What Narcan does is it reverses opioid overdoses temporarily for 30 to 90 minutes and restores breathing to individuals that have lost the ability to breathe on their own due to overconsumption of opioids,” Haynes said.

Thanks to this approval, it will be sold directly to consumers in places like drug stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, gas stations, and online.

The timeline for availability and price of this over-the-counter product is determined by the manufacturer.

Haynes says the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation offers training for those who wish to learn how to use Narcan.

“We will actually teach them not only how to administer Narcan in the case of an overdose, but also the science behind addiction stigma and different harm reduction practices and techniques, as well. And how to fully respond to an overdose,” Haynes said.

According to the FDA, drug overdose is a major issue in the US, with more than 101,750 reported fatal overdoses occurring in the 12-month period ending in October 2022, primarily driven by synthetic
opioids like illicit fentanyl.

Haynes claims that the approval of this nasal spray will make a big impact when it comes to saving lives, and will cut the number of reported fatal overdoses down drastically.

Through the FDA Overdose Prevention framework, the agency remains focused on responding to all facets of substance use, misuse, substance use disorders, overdoses, and deaths in the US.

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