Opioid Overdose - What You Can Do
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Good Day Advocates
Your comments, suggestions, and research topics are greatly appreciated via the comment button below. One reader has asked for an article on Narcan (naloxone) which is used to counter an opioid overdose that’s what we will cover today. Tomorrow we will be discussing prescription shortages. The husky is unrelated to the story, but my wife really likes huskies.
Opioid Crisis
Over 100,000 Americans lose their lives to overdoses each year. This is the highest number of Americans lost to overdoses ever recorded. It is more than twice the number killed in car crashes. Veterans are twice as likely to die from an overdose as non veterans. Substance use disorder is more common than you might think. Shockingly, 1 in 10 people battled with it last year. Opioid overdose is life-threatening and requires immediate emergency attention. Recognizing the signs of opioid overdose is essential to saving lives. Learn more about opioid overdose at this link.
Here is the US government site dedicated to countering opioid overdose.
Naloxone Help For Overdose - Life Saver
If someone has overdosed on opioids it can take more than 9 minutes to get emergency help to them. Brain injury from an overdose can occur in about 4 minutes. That’s why it is important to have Naloxone readily available if a loved one is at risk.
Where Is Naloxone Available?
Here is a link from Narcan (that’s one of the commercial names for the generic drug naxolone). The product being sold is the nasal spray. Enter your zipcode, view results on line. About $45.00, and the website tells you what pharmacies have it in stock and how close they are to you. It is available without prescription in most states to third party individuals in a position to help. But not all states. Some states require a prescription, some states require that you be trained to use it
Here is a state by state listing of the rules to access naloxone from SafeProject. SAFE is Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic. Opiod Overdose Response Training is here. It seems pretty simple.
Oregon
The reader who sent in this request wanted Oregon’s rules so I copied them out of the SafeProject site.
State: Oregon
3rd Party Access: Yes
Pharmacy Access Notes: Law allows a pharmacist to dispense to anyone without a prescription.
Other Resources:
https://staysafeoregon.com/prevent-overdose/save-life-using-naloxone/
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/preventionwellness/substanceuse/opioids/pages/naloxone.aspx
Some State Notes
Some states require proof of training before dispensing narcan, some have limited distribution. Check the narcan link as well as the state by state rules.
You get the idea. If you know someone at risk, it is a good idea to have it available.
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