The 2020s might be remembered as the Narcan decade

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The Narcan news might be even more important than you think By Tara Law Reporter It’s been a banner day for the effort stop opioid overdoses: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has approved Narcan, a nasal-spray form of the opioid-overdose-reversing drug naloxone, for over-the-counter use without a prescription. The change is widely expected to save lives at a time when opioid overdose deaths, (largely driven by the infiltration of the highly potent drug fentanyl into the illicit opioid market), have risen as high as 80,000 per year in the U.S. Narcan is sometimes called a miracle drug because it can essentially bring someone back to life after they’ve stopped breathing following an opioid overdose, and it’s about as easy to use as a nasal spray for allergy symptoms. At the same time, however, advocates and health care workers emphasize that there are still barriers that could prevent many people from having access to Narcan. Chelsea Shover, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of California-Los Angeles, told me that as exciting as the FDA’s news is, other steps are still necessary to make sure Narcan is widely available: It must be affordable at retail locations. Without insurance, Narcan can be costly; over $100 for two doses of brand-name medication at some pharmacies, according to GoodRx. Shover notes that many of the people she’s provided Narcan to—including teenagers and people living in street encampments—wouldn’t be able to afford it on their own. Organizations must still be able to give it out for free. Though there is no reason to believe this will change, it's important to keep an eye on, as spaces like community groups and clinics have been instrumental in getting it directly to drug users. Insurance must still cover Narcan if it’s over the counter. OTC drugs are not subject to the same federal rules as prescription drugs in terms of insurance coverage. “Narcan was covered by many kinds of insurance at no or very low cost to the consumer. Now that it’s available over the counter, I worry about losing that coverage,” says Shover. READ MORE

What else to read Prisons Use Menstruation as a Form of Punishment By Victoria Law and Rachel Kauder Nalebuff For many people in women's jails and prisons, a huge concern is monthly periods, write Victoria Law and Rachel Kauder Nalebuff. Read More » Does Direct-to-Consumer Advertising Directly Harm Patients? By Robert Glatter and Yash Shah Pharmaceutical companies spent more money on DTC advertising when medical research found that the drug was less effective. Read More » Amid Longest Drought on Record, Many in Somalia Are Breaking Ramadan Fast With Little but Water By Omar Faruk / AP This year's holy month of Ramadan coincides with the longest drought on record in Somalia. Read More » Babies With Pets May Be Less Likely to Develop Food Allergies By Jamie Ducharme A study links dog and cat ownership to a lower risk of food allergies for babies. Read More » Why Mass Shootings Rarely Change the Gun Control Debate in Republican States By David A. Lieb / AP Public outrage is swift following mass shootings like in Nashville. But don't expect new gun controls in Republican-led states. Read More »

ONE LAST READ Having purpose helps you live longer Having a life purpose—a guiding motivation that supplies you with a sense of direction—is connected to a wide array of health benefits, including increased longevity and greater happiness. In a new piece for Vox, Allie Volpe explains how to cultivate purpose. One example: Ask five people close to you, for example, what they think you do particularly well, what appears to make you happy, and how they think you'll leave your mark. Read More »

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