State doctors explain how over-the-counter Narcan provides better accessibility to life-saving medication

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - On Wednesday, March 29, the Food and Drug Administration gave the approval to sell Narcan over the counter. Narcan is an overdose reversal drug.

President of the Medical Association for the state of Alabama, Dr. Julia Boothe, said this has been something they have been working on and have been waiting for the announcement for months.

She believes everyone should have Narcan in the medicine cabinet in case of an emergency, especially if someone in the home was recently prescribed opioids.

“Whether or not the person that uses it feels comfortable, ‘I know how to use my medicine. I’m safe with it,’ but people, friends, relatives get in, take medications, and that’s where we are seeing a lot of the unintended consequences,” said Boothe.

Narcan being sold over the counter eliminates the need for a prescription, meaning people can access it easier and use it to save others in case of an emergency.

“Our hope is that people will be desensitized to the stress of it and understand that this is something that is safe, it’s able to be used by anyone. You can have it available and ready,” said Boothe.

Information on how to administer Narcan can be found here.

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