SAN DIEGO — The FDA has just approved the use of Narcan, the powerful anti-overdose drug, over-the-counter, instead of a prescription-based use.

The County of San Diego is making the nasal spray free at select county clinics with the hope more people will be able to save drug users from a fatal overdose.

“It’s about time, this is a blessing. This is an opportunity to save even more lives,” said , M.D. Addiction Medicine Physician at the Betty Ford Center.

Narcan is delivered with a simple nasal spray and medical officials are comfortable with the public giving it to any person suspected of an overdose without medical authority.

“If you see someone who you think is having an opioid overdose, administer the Narcan. Give that a couple of minutes and if it’s not effective give it again,” said Elliot Sutton-Inocencio, lead clinical nurse at Sharp McDonald Center.

The epidemic has reached a devastating moment for the US and officials say they are doing anything they can to keep people alive.

“Since 2000 over a million lives have been lost the opioid epidemic, at least. We even lost 106,000 individuals last year,” said Dr. Bosu.

There is now a vending machine with free Narcan available in the South Bay County Health Clinic. Patients or friends of patients only need a cell phone with a QR code reader and the Narcan shots are distributed on the spot.