© 2024 WEMU
Serving Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, MI
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Local health officials praise FDA decision on over-the-counter Narcan

Narcan
The Library Heather
/
libraryheather.com
Narcan

Washtenaw County Health Departmentofficials are praising the FDA’s decision to makeNarcan available for over-the-counter purchase.

Narcan, also known as Naloxone, is a life-saving medicine that can be used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Health Department spokesperson Beth Ann Hamilton says the decision is great news for the county, where the opioid epidemic remains a serious problem.

“We’ve seen opioid deaths unfortunately increase in recent years. Between 2020 and 2021 we saw a 28 percent increase in opioid overdose deaths."

Hamilton says, in the meantime, those seeking Narcan get it from local pharmacies or from various pick-up sites located across the county.

Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support.  Make your donation to WEMU todayto keep your community NPR station thriving.

Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org

Taylor Pinson is a former WEMU news reporter and engineer.
Related Content