Two panels that advise the Food and Drug Administration are recommending that naloxone nasal spray be approved for over-the-counter sale for emergency treatment of opioid overdoses. The Joint Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously to approve the measure. The FDA will make a final decision on March 29 if naloxone will become a nonprescription drug.
"Naloxone is a rescue medication. Opioids work by binding to specific receptors within the brain. And when they bind, they have a host of effects, one of which is respiratory depression, or a reduced respiratory rate," explains Dr. Geyer. Latest Headlines How overdose deaths changed in every state during COVID-19 Educating patientsAs a physician, Dr. Geyer says health care teams are responsible for educating patients when prescribing opioids for pain.