Capito, Manchin Join Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to make Naloxone Available Over the Counter

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of thirty lawmakers in urging seven major manufacturers of naloxone to apply for over-the-counter (OTC) status for their naloxone products.

Naloxone is a medication that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses, but it is only available with a prescription and may only be distributed and dispensed by certain entities. Despite the effectiveness of naloxone in reversing opioid overdoses, and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) public support for making the product accessible OTC, drug manufacturers have resisted applying for OTC status for their products.