'Huge win for the public health community': Advocates hail ruling allowing over-the-counter Narcan
Suburban advocates are hailing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision Wednesday to allow over-the-counter sales of Narcan, a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
"This is a huge win for the public health community," said Chelsea Laliberte Barnes, co-founder of Live4Lali, an Arlington Heights-based community recovery center. "It's a huge win for families. It's a win for teenagers. It's a win for anybody who struggles with a substance use issue or is experimenting with drugs in the time of fentanyl.
"It's a big day for families who have lost loved ones to overdoses, for sure," added Barnes, whose brother, Alex, died from an accidental opioid overdose in 2008. "There is a huge part of me that is so grateful that they finally came to the conclusion that this is exactly what they needed to do. But it's also sad that it took so long."
Narcan, the leading version of the drug naloxone, rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose and is the standard treatment for it.
Dean Jeske, whose son, Peter, died of fentanyl poisoning at Indiana University in 2021, called the FDA move a very positive development.
"I think everyone should have Narcan in their home," he said. "Narcan wouldn't save Peter's life, because he was alone in his bedroom. But there certainly are plenty of young people who die at home or at a friend's house or at a party, where, if there was Narcan available, it likely would save their life."
FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf said Wednesday the decision should reduce opioid overdose deaths throughout the country.
"We encourage the manufacturer to make accessibility to the product a priority by making it available as soon as possible and at an affordable price," he said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 4,000 people died from overdoses in Illinois in 2021, up more than 12% from 2020. More than 101,750 fatal overdoses occurred in the 12-month period ending in October 2022, primarily driven by synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the FDA.
"It's over gun deaths, over suicides and over car crash deaths," said Kyra Jagodzinski, the coordinator for the Lake County Opioid Initiative and the Illinois Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition.
"In Lake County, for the last decade at least, overdose deaths have outpaced homicides and suicides put together," added Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart, who is on the executive board of the opioid initiative. "That tells you the seriousness of the problem."
Mark Pfister, executive director of the Lake County Health Department, said Wednesday's FDA ruling will save lives.
Dr. Abid Nazeer, who is board-certified in addiction medicine and founded Advanced Psychiatric Solutions, said that with barriers to Narcan being removed, teaching people how to use it will be important.
"It's not that hard to learn to use, so I think that's going to be crucial, that there is a lot of education out there," he said.
Barnes said that while many pharmacies already carry Narcan, Wednesday's decision allows people to obtain it without speaking with a pharmacist.
"The difference is this will now be available more regularly," she said.
CVS released a statement Wednesday saying the company supports the FDA decision and is working to make Narcan available over the counter at its more than 9,000 locations.
"We also hope the FDA's approval of over-the-counter naloxone will lead to more naloxone products in the marketplace to help ensure affordable access for customers," the statement reads.