A New York congressman from the Hudson Valley is co-leading a letter-sending effort to urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take action regarding a drug used to combat heroin overdoses.
Democratic Congressmen Sean Patrick Maloney and Bill Foster of Illinois are leading the bipartisan push for a prompt review of Narcan for over-the-counter use in heroin and opioid overdoses. Maloney points that, earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration approved for prescription treatment Narcan, or Nalaxone, which can be used by family members or caregivers to treat a person with an opioid overdose. The representatives’ letter urges the FDA to take prompt action to recognize Narcan as a safe and effective over-the-counter medication. Maloney and Foster penned the letter along with 18 congressional members, including fellow Democrats Paul Tonko of New York; Elizabeth Esty of Connecticut; and Peter Welch of Vermont.
