Idaho lawmakers are making it easier for people to get doses of a life-saving drug that can reverse opioid overdoses.
Under current law, only doctors or pharmacists can hand out the drug Naloxone.
Many first responders across the country carry the drug to help reverse overdoses from opioids like heroin.
But a bill signed into law Thursday by Gov. Brad Little (R) allows any licensed healthcare professional to dispense the drug.
That means a nurse could hand out Naloxone to someone who’s addicted to drugs or their family members.
The bill sailed through both chambers of the Idaho legislature, passing unanimously.
The FDA is currently working to create an over-the-counter version of Naloxone, making it available without a prescription at a pharmacy.
More than 47,000 people in the U.S. died from opioid overdoses in 2017.
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