In a move that many believe could be life-saving, the Food and Drug Administration announced on Wednesday that they are going to make Narcan available over the counter.

Here's what the FDA said in its press release:

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan, 4 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for over-the-counter (OTC), nonprescription, use – the first naloxone product approved for use without a prescription. Naloxone is a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose and is the standard treatment for opioid overdose. Today's action paves the way for the life-saving medication to reverse an opioid overdose to be sold directly to consumers in places like drug stores, convenience stores, grocery stores and gas stations, as well as online.

While it is tragic that the opioid crisis has gotten to a point where a move like this from the FDA is necessary, it's encouraging that these life-saving treatments will be available to anyone without a prescription.

According to The New York Times, the OTC product will be available in late summer and should be sold in drug stores and convenience stores all across the country.

Previously, doctors and emergency health professionals had to distribute the drug that reverses the effects of overdoses, but when time is of the essence, having the drug on hand for opioid users as well as family and friends who could help.

Overdose deaths in the US are in the hundreds of thousands and millions of doses of Narcan are administered by health professionals each year. The rescue drug being more widely available will almost certainly save the lives of addicts who need help.