On Wednesday, the Federal Drug Administration approved Narcan, the nasal spray that can save lives by reversing opioid overdoses, to be sold over the counter.

The medication could soon be available at convenience stores, online retailers, and even vending machines.

A two-dose pack of Narcan is usually free for people covered by Medicaid or private insurance. But most public and some private insurance programs do not cover this cost.

In Oregon, pharmacists can already sell Narcan over the counter without a prescription.

Brooks Mclain, Development Director at HIV Alliance, says purchasing Narcan without going through pharmacists would be a game changer.

'Having it readily available will be hugely beneficial in a few ways. The first is that there's a lot of stigma around accessing Narcan. And so you can get it right now to pharmacies around Oregon, but not all have it,' said McLain. 'And not all folks are comfortable going up to a pharmacist and asking to receive it. So this will make it a lot less kind of human interaction and having to explain yourself to get it over the counter.'

He says HIV Alliance will continue to hand out Narcan at needle exchanges and offer community training on how to use it.

McClain says the group has helped reverse more than a thousand overdoses in Eugene with Narcan, and is hopeful that having Narcan be more readily available will make a difference.

HIV Alliance encourages everyone to carry Narcan and know how to use it.