FDA advisory panel recommends over-the-counter availability for Narcan

An advisory panel for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday voted unanimously to recommend that the agency make Narcan available for over-the-counter use.

Naloxone is currently a prescription-only drug used to treat opioid overdoses. Narcan is a brand-name nasal spray containing Naloxone.

The panel voted 19-0 to approve it for over-the-counter sales, determining there was little risk involved in expanding the drug's availability, The Hill reported.

The FDA will formally decide the matter on March 29.

The advisory panel's decision is not binding but will likely carry weight with the agency next month.

Elizabeth Coykendall, a temporary voting member of the panel, said "[t]here's no reason to keep this as a prescription, let's get it out there and save some lives," according to The Hill.

Amid a mounting fentanyl crisis, Narcan has emerged as a leading means of treating exposure to the highly lethal drug.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.