Health Canada OK's non-prescription nasal spray overdose antidote

Canadians will now be able to acquirenaloxone nasal spray without a prescription, Health Canada says.

Health Minister Jane Philpott authorized the nasal spray, which works to temporarily reverse a potentially fatal opioid overdose,after an expedited review, the department said in a release on Monday.

The needle-free nasal spray is easy to administer and ensures that anyone can reverse an opioid overdose and save lives within a few minutes, said Dublin-basedAdapt Pharma. The companyintends to market theproduct in Canada.

• High price of naloxone nasal spray makes distribution of vital drug difficult
• Fentanyl deaths are a Canada-wide 'disaster'

Health Canada said moreinformation on when the newly approvedproduct will be available will be provided "in the near future."

Health Canada says the nasal spray's manufacturer can now take the steps needed to officially bring the product to market in Canada.Until then, the U.S.-approved product will continue to be available in Canada to avoid interruption in supply.

The interim order called the authorization "an emergency public health measure in response to the current opioid crisis."