SAFE GC Coalition: Biden Administration Makes Naloxone More Accessible

On March 29, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first nonprescription, “over-the-counter” (OTC) naloxone nasal spray, Narcan. This decision is a big step forward in advancing the Health and Human Services (HHS) Overdose Prevention Strategy that expands the scope of the crisis response and promotes groundbreaking research and evidence-informed methods to improve the health and safety of communities. The Overdose Prevention Strategy helps advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy, which delivers on the call to action in President Biden’s Unity Agenda for a whole-of-government approach to beat the overdose epidemic.

Naloxone is a medicine that can reverse an opioid-related overdose has been shown to be a critical tool to prevent fatal overdoses, connect more people to treatment for substance use disorder, and save lives. This action by the Biden-Harris administration to make this naloxone product available without a prescription will pave the way for the life-saving medication to be sold directly to consumers in places like drug stores, convenience stores, grocery stores and gas stations, as well as online. In addition to being used by healthcare professionals, naloxone is increasingly being distributed to first responders, and family members who may witness and respond to an opioid overdose. The availability of nonprescription and prescription naloxone could help to further increase its distribution and accessibility, potentially saving more lives and reducing the burden of opioid overdose on individuals, families, and communities.

Over the past year, the Administration took steps to expand access to naloxone and other harm reduction interventions, such as permitting the use of federal funding for state and local public health departments to purchase naloxone, focusing on state development of naloxone saturation plans, issuing guidance aimed at making it easier for harm reduction programs to obtain and distribute naloxone to at-risk populations, and prioritizing the review of nonprescription naloxone applications as appropriate. As a result of these actions, the latest CDC overdose data show a steady decrease or flattening of overdose reports for seven months in a row. To build on this progress, the Administration is focused on expanding access to naloxone, connecting more people with addiction to treatment, supporting people in recovery, and reducing the supply of illicit drugs like fentanyl.

With FDA approval of nonprescription Narcan, 4 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray, HHS will launch a department-wide approach to work with stakeholders to implement the Narcan switch from prescription to nonprescription status, facilitate the continued availability of naloxone nasal spray products during the time needed to implement the transition, and help ensure appropriate coverage and continued access to all forms of naloxone.

The SAFE Glen Cove Coalition is conducting an opioid prevention awareness campaign entitled. “Keeping Glen Cove SAFE,” to educate and update the community regarding opioid use and its consequences. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencovecoalition or visit SAFE’s website to learn more about the Opioid Epidemic at www.safeglencove.org.