WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) successfully lobbied the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today to increase access to Emergent Biosolution’s life-saving opioid overdose reversal nasal spray, sold under the brand name Narcan, for use without a prescription.
Naloxone nasal spray is a safe, easy to use treatment that is proven “to reduce medical emergencies, drug overdoses, and deaths” by up to 46 percent. Rep. Carter, a pharmacist by trade, penned a letter to the FDA in February 2023 calling for swift action to address the fentanyl crisis, which has claimed over 70,000 American lives.
“I applaud the FDA for saving lives today by approving naloxone for over-the-counter use. Almost 300 Americans die every day from drug overdoses and this treatment cannot help them if it is locked behind a pharmacy counter. I keep naloxone on me, and I recommend that everyone has this in their medicine cabinet, because you never know when you could be able to save a life,” said Rep. Carter.
Read the full letter here.
Download Rep. Carter’s Drug Safety pocket card here.
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