MANCHIN APPLAUDS FDA APPROVAL OF FIRST OVER-THE-COUNTER NALOXONE

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) applauded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of Narcan as the first over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray. Naloxone is a life-saving medication that rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and today's decision paves the way for it to be sold directly to consumers in places like drug stores, convenience stores and grocery stores.

"In the last year, more than 106,000 Americans and 1,400 West Virginians died from drug related overdoses," Senator Manchin said. "Given the enormous scale of need, it has never been more important to adopt opioid overdose prevention and reversal strategies on a wide scale. Naloxone is an immeasurably valuable resource for our fight against the drug epidemic, and it is proven to be safe and effective for public use. I'm thrilled to see the FDA take this meaningful action to make naloxone available over-the-counter, which helps reduce stigma and encourages the widespread use of this critical medication during emergencies. Today's decision is a huge step in the right direction to make affordable Narcan accessible for every West Virginian and American, and it will save lives."

Source