Opioid overdose drug Narcan approved for over-the-counter use by FDA

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved sales of the lifesaving opioid overdose medication Narcan without a prescription.

The agency said the nasal spray is the first naloxone product approved for use without a prescription.

Naloxone is a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and is the standard treatment for opioid overdose. 

The U.S. reported more than 101,750 fatal overdoses occurring in the 12-month period ending in October 2022, primarily driven by synthetic opioids like illicit fentanyl.