FDA approves Narcan for over-the-counter sales

Palm Beach County — Wednesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan, the opioid overdose-reversing drug, for over-the-counter, non-prescription sale.

Narcan will be available by the end of the summer, but what does the FDA approval mean?

Even before the FDA's action, pharmacies could sell naloxone without a prescription, but not all pharmacies carried it.

However, the price of the overdose reversal spray currently varies. Just two doses can often cost around $50.

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The nationwide overdose crisis has been linked to more than 100,000 U.S. deaths a year and advocates believe making Narcan more widely accessible will help reduce that number and hopefully bring the cost down.

Over the last couple of years, health officials and state leaders have pushed to expand the use of Narcan.

Back in February, The Florida Department of Health announced the availability of free Narcan nasal spray kits in Palm Beach County. In October, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office announced all of its deputies would be carrying the spray.

The Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Emergent BioSolutions is the best-known form of naloxone.

The spray can help reverse the effects of an overdose of opioids, including heroin and fentanyl.