© 2024 Peoria Public Radio
A joint service of Bradley University and Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

What does the FDA's over-the-counter Narcan authorization mean for an 'overdose epidemic?'

The opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan (shown here at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston in Charleston, W.Va., on Sept. 6, 2022) has been approved for over-the-counter sales.
Leah Willingham
/
AP
The opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan (shown here at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston in Charleston, W.Va., on Sept. 6, 2022) has been approved for over-the-counter sales.

The FDA approved Narcan, the brand name for the overdose reversal drug Naloxone, in a nasal spray form for over the counter sales. Previously, it required a prescription to purchase at a pharmacy or drugstore.

Chris Schaffner, program director for JOLT Harm Reduction, says any move to make Naloxone more accessible is a good step, but the measure still leaves barriers in place.

“I think this potential model of just selling over the counter is still going to create disparity between people who can afford it and people who can't,” he said. “So, it's not going to get into the hands of people who may be needed the most and are most vulnerable.”

Schaffner said Narcan can cost anywhere from $35 to $65 for a box, before any retailer markups. Even if someone has a prescription for Narcan, they would still need a subscription to Medicaid to have it covered. Emergent Biosolutions, the company that makes Narcan, said itplans to have the spray on shelves in places like drug stores, pharmacies and gas stations by late summer, but haven’t announced a price point yet.

“Pharmaceutical companies don't have a great history of making sure that their medication is accessible to everyone. And they have a history of price gouging,” said Schaffner. “So,unless there's some regulatory processes put in place to make sure the cost isn't so exorbitant that only a few people can afford it. I don't see this as really making too much of an impact on the overdose crisis as a whole.”

Schaffner points out other concerns with access: pharmacies can choose not to stock Narcan or simply deny selling it. JOLT Harm Reduction and other similar organizations offer Naloxone, in both injectable and nasal spray forms, for free.

Schaffner said, in the midst of more than 100,000 people dying from overdoses every year, Naloxone can be difficult to find. COVID also contributed to shortages. He said to get around these issues, organizations like JOLT often from buyer’s clubs or have mutual aid agreements to receive the medicine in bulk.

“So, if we had one organization in Utah that had an excess of generic Naloxone and a place like JOLT in Peoria maybe was low on supply, then they would pull together with other organizations to make sure that we got what we needed and vice versa,” Schaffner said. “ We have to work together because there isn't a real great structure in place to support the purchase and the distribution of generic Naloxone.”

Schaffner does see a potential for positive impact in the FDA’s decision when it comes to stigma — something he said is an issue JOLT runs into, particularly in rural communities.

“If it's just a part of the things that are on the shelf then it won't seem like such a taboo thing,” he said. “You know, I think the equivalent could be birth control or Plan B pills or even condoms and contraception that you can buy off the shelf initially was probably controversial. But now years later, it's just a part of what you've come to expect in a lot of these places.”

This announcement comes as JOLT Harm Reduction aims to expand its mobile presence in rural areas surrounding Greater Peoria. Schaffner said the group closed its Pekin location last month in order to dedicate more resources to mobile outreach, bringing resources directly to communities.

“As we look at the surrounding rural counties, right, so we're looking at Knox County and Fulton County and Tazewell County, they tend to be more rural, we're finding that transportation is a barrier to accessing our site,” said Schaffner. “And so it was also just a cost effective measure. It didn't make sense for us to pay staff to be on site that wasn't largely being used or accessed by people. “

Schaffner also hopes the FDA’s decision leads to more funding and decisions to support expansion for organizations like JOLT that he said prevents an average of eight to 12 overdose deaths a month.

“Yet we're still scratching for funding across the country for harm reduction,” he said. “Even though we know that it's evidence based and and it's wildly successful in driving down overdose deaths.”

An important thing to remember: there’s no risk to using Narcan and the nasal spray form makes it easy for anyone to administer.

“If I were to spray nasal Narcan, or inject you with intramuscular Naloxone, right now, it wouldn't do anything to you,” said Schaffner. “It's like injecting or spraying water into your body. So there is no risk.”

If you need Narcan, JOLT Harm Reduction’s Sheridan Road location in Peoria is open from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday Schaffner said if you can’t make it during those hours, you can email or call the organization and they’ll bring Narcan within driving distance of JOLT.

Collin Schopp is a reporter at WCBU. He joined the station in 2022.