Life-saving nasal spray now over-the-counter at pharmacies

Life saving nasal spray now over the counter at pharmacies
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full screen Naloxone, which is given in the form of a nasal spray, is an antidote to all kinds of opioids. Archive image. Photo: Jessica Gow/TT

The nasal spray naloxone, which can reverse opioid overdoses, is now available to buy without a prescription at pharmacies in Sweden.

– It’s a great step on the way, but we can’t stop here, says Jennie Gejel, chairman of the Brukarföreningen in Stockholm.

Naloxone is a solution that acts as an antidote to opioid overdoses, such as heroin and fentanyl. It has been available in Sweden since 2018, but so far it has only been prescribed to people who are at risk of taking an overdose.

As of mid-July, the life-saving drug is available to buy without a prescription.

– Anything that makes it less complicated to get naloxone is good. Now even relatives can buy naloxone and it can save lives, says Jennie Gejel.

The fact that naloxone has not been available without a prescription in the past is due to the fact that within the framework of the approval it was included that the person who receives the drug must be given information on how to use it. After a new assessment, the Swedish Medicines Agency swung and concluded last autumn that the pharmacy staff can be responsible for the instructions.

Now in store

The fact that the medicine is now over-the-counter means that there will be free pricing, which means that the over-the-counter product can be more expensive than the prescription one.

– People who have an ongoing opioid addiction rarely have money to spare, so it would have been very best if this was supplemented with some type of funding opportunity, says Gejel.

A pharmacy that TT has been in contact with states that it is sold without a prescription for SEK 578 and costs SEK 452 with a prescription. At another chain, the price is SEK 452 when purchased, with or without a prescription.

The nasal spray is initially a made-to-order item and needs to be ordered in a physical store. It is not sold in online pharmacies due to the requirement for advice at the point of sale.

Counseling is required

“It is not enough for the customer to obtain the information on their own by, for example, reading on a website. The requirement for a pharmacist to give advice means that information and advice must be actively given by a pharmacist in dialogue with the customer,” writes the Swedish Medicines Agency’s pharmaceutical inspector Gustav Sjöstrand to TT.

Naloxone is an order item because availability is limited, according to the industry organization Sweden’s Apoteksförening.

– There isn’t that much stock yet, so it’s smarter to have it as an order item so it doesn’t run out as an effect of some pharmacies buying in large volumes, says Johan Wallér at Sweden’s Pharmacy Association.

THE FACTS Naloxone

An overdose of opioids can cause you to stop breathing, which leads to lack of oxygen, unconsciousness and the heart stops beating.

Naloxone removes the effect of the opioids for about half an hour and allows you to breathe again. It also removes the hangover.

Naloxone, given as a nasal spray, is an antidote to all types of opioids.

Until now, it has only been allowed to prescribe it to people who themselves are at risk of taking an opioid overdose.

Source: National Board of Health and Welfare, Medical Products Agency

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