A drug that can save lives in overdose cases has been approved for over-the-counter (OTC) sales.

The FDA (Federal Drug Administration) on Wednesday authorized the sale of Narcan, a nasal spray drug that rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, over the counter.

Narcan has previously been by prescription only, which is the way pharmaceutical companies wanted to keep it, despite FDA support of OTC sales.

But thanks to a bipartisan, bicameral group, including West Virginia Senators Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, and Joe Manchin, a Democrat, pressure was put on seven major manufacturers of naloxone products, which includes Narcan, a nasal spray, to apply for over-the-counter status for those products.

Narcan nasal spray was first approved by the FDA in 2015 as a prescription drug.

“I was pleased to see the announced approval of first over-the-counter naloxone,” Capito said Wednesday. “It’s never been more important to adopt opioid overdose prevention and reversal strategies on a wide scale.”

{span}Naloxone is a life-saving medication that rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and today’s decision paves the way for it to be sold directly to consumers in places like drug stores, convenience stores and grocery stores, Manchin said.{/span}

“In the last year, more than 106,000 Americans and 1,400 West Virginians died from drug related overdoses,” he said after the FDA decision. “Given the enormous scale of need, it has never been more important to adopt opioid overdose prevention and reversal strategies on a wide scale. Naloxone is an immeasurably valuable resource for our fight against the drug epidemic, and it is proven to be safe and effective for public use. I’m thrilled to see the FDA take this meaningful action to make naloxone available over-the-counter, which helps reduce stigma and encourages the widespread use of this critical medication during emergencies. Today’s decision is a huge step in the right direction to make affordable Narcan accessible for every West Virginian and American, and it will save lives.”

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said the FDA decision is welcome news.

“This announcement is welcome news for the communities in Virginia and across the country that have been torn apart by the opioid epidemic, including deaths from fentanyl,” he said in a statement. “As we continue pursuing a comprehensive range of solutions to tackle the opioid epidemic, I applaud the FDA for acting to put this lifesaving medication in the hands of more Americans – a move that is sure to fight overdose deaths and save lives.”

Gov. Jim Justice said during his administration briefing Wednesday that the FDA decision will allow Narcan to be available in schools.

“This just saves lives,” he said.