March 29, 2023 – Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan, 4 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for over-the-counter (OTC), nonprescription, use – the first naloxone product approved for use without a prescription. Naloxone is a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose and is the standard treatment for opioid overdose. Today’s action paves the way for the life-saving medication to reverse an opioid overdose to be sold directly to consumers in places like drug stores, convenience stores, grocery stores and gas stations, as well as online. 

Three out of four farmers have been directly impacted by the opioid epidemic in our nation. Let that statistic from the American Farm Bureau sink in for a moment. Three out of every four farmers are or have been directly impacted by opioid misuse — either by having a friend or family member addicted, having taken an illegal opioid, or having dealt with addiction themselves. It is a startling statistic that shows the extent to which the opioid epidemic has hit rural America.