LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisors are recommending moving the overdose-reversing drug Narcan to be sold over the counter.

If approved by the FDA, people could buy the nasal spray version in supermarkets or convenience stores.

Without insurance, a two-pack of the drug costs $50. Some pharmacists are concerned about covering the non-prescription version.

“Over-the-counter traditional insurance companies don’t cover over-the-counter medications,” Kavanaugh Pharmacy owner Anne Pace said. “So is there going to be a way that we are able to bill insurance companies for it, for patients that do have it, so they can still have free access to this life-saving medication.”

In 2021, 500 Arkansans died from opioid overdoses.

The FDA is expected to make its final decision at the end of March.