Narcan is an opioid antagonist, making it a type of medicine that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. According to the FDA, in the 12 months ending in October 2022, there have been 101,750 overdose deaths in the US. In 2021, opioids were involved in 91% of drug overdose deaths. FDAs approval of this over the counter medicine is significant, and could potentially pave the way for more life-saving over the counter medicines to be sold.
The FDA first approved Narcan nasal spray in 2015 as a prescription drug. In February 2023, FDA Committee members voted unanimously to recommend it be approved for over-the-counter use.
The price of the nasal spray has not yet been released, but overdose protection agencies caution that the price may be too high for accessibility. The National Harm Reduction Coalition has expressed the need for Naloxone to be free so that everyone can have access to the life saving medication.
One way to possibly reduce the price of the nasal spray, which is expected to be around $47.50 a box, is placing a price ceiling on the product so retailers cant sell narcan for extremely high prices. But even though this could create more affordability for the product, it can also create a shortage, like how we learned in class.
Lastly, it is unclear when the naloxone nasal spray will be available to purchase everywhere without prescription. EmergentBioSolutions (narcan producers), say they hope to make the medication available to buy by late summer. Once Narcan medication can be sold everywhere with easy access, there could be a drastic reduction in the number of opioid-overdose related deaths
Sources:
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/naloxone
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-over-counter-naloxone-nasal-spray
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/29/1166750095/narcan-fda-approval-naloxone-over-the-counter-otc
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/28/health/narcan-otc-price.html
https://www.mountainside-medical.com/products/narcan-nasal-spray-4mg-2-doses
7 comments:
I think this is a great development as a bandage for the opioid epidemic. Even though it's possible and very likely that the price could be very high for a box of narcan, it's necessary that people can get it OTC without the hassle of waiting for a prescription or anything. And regardless of what the price is, using it to potentially save a life would always be worth it. What's next is having public locations properly stocked and ready with narcan, as well as making sure everyone is informed of its benefits and uses.
I think this is a great achievement for drug safety. It's interesting that this life-saving spray once needed a prescription. I wonder what the reason was for that. However, it is disappointing to see that the price may be gouged. This is not surprising with America's pharmacy corporations. I hope that doesn't happen because I feel it won't have a huge effect if the prices are high. Drug users usually don’t have a lot of extra money to spend, nor are they willing to.
I think this is a great step in the growth of drug safety and accessibility. I agree that it is very likely for the drug to be priced high, but if this is a way for people to save lives from over doses. It's truly sad to see the number of overdose deaths that are happening, but if that can be prevented the price of ones life will always outweigh the price of death. So if the drug is priced high, ultimately paying for a drug that can stop an overdose death will be well worth them staying alive over one not being able to access the drug and dying.
I think that is a step in the right direction. I agree with everyone that price is an issue but at the same time, it might save countless lives because Narcan will be more accessible and be sold in more stores. Emergents resident and CEO Robert Kramer states that "We have delivered on our commitment to make this important emergency treatment widely accessible, given the alarming rates of opioid overdoses occurring across the country". Another thing that is important to remember is that people in the community should carry this drug and help save people because many people who overdose can't help themselves.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/29/fda-otc-narcan-spray-approval-00089376
I agree with the other commenters that this nasal spray has HUGE capabilities to save lives and make drug use safer. One question I have is if people object to Narcan because it might increase opioid use. If opioids are seen as safer, they may be used by more people, and that may have a detrimental effect on society. It is unclear whether or not this will happen, but I still believe that Narcan is an overall positive due to the amount of lives that could be saved.
I agree with the other commenters that Narcan is a great step towards drug safety and can save many lives. Narcan is definitely an overall positive. I wonder if there are any concerns about an increase in opioid use however, since if opioids are now seen as safer, they may be used by more people. This effect is not certain, but could be detrimental to society.
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