The opioid crisis in the United States has been a growing concern for many years, with over 100,000 people dying from overdoses annually. Now, health advisers are considering whether the overdose-reversal drug naloxone should be available as an over-the-counter medication to combat this crisis.

Naloxone has become a key tool in the battle against the US overdose epidemic, as it can quickly reverse the effects of opioid overdoses and save lives. Community advocates and organizations have welcomed the possible approval of an over-the-counter version, but have raised some concerns.

The FDA will make a final decision on the drug in the coming weeks, but they flagged several concerns with the company’s study ahead of the meeting. Chief among these is the potential for people to misdiagnose an overdose and administer the drug unnecessarily, and the risk of people using the drug to enable opioid use.

Despite these concerns, the potential of an over-the-counter naloxone drug could be great. The drug could be sold in pharmacies, convenience stores, and other retail outlets, making it much more widely available than the current prescription-only version. As such, it could extend the reach of naloxone and help to save even more lives.