FDA approves over-the-counter Narcan for opioid overdose.

The FDA has approved the sale of Narcan, a nasal spray that can reverse opioid overdoses, without a prescription. Narcan will become available over-the-counter by late summer, making it more widely accessible to people who are most likely to be around overdoses, including people who use drugs and their relatives. Making naloxone available more widely is seen as a key strategy to control the nationwide overdose crisis, which has been linked to more than 100,000 U.S. deaths a year. However, concerns remain about whether people who buy Narcan over-the-counter will know how to use it properly.