Narcan is heading to the stores: what you need to know
The overdose drug should be more widely available, health experts have said. It will arrive in many stores next week without a prescription.
Narcan, the first opioid overdose drug approved for over-the-counter purchase, is shipping in drugstores and grocery chains nationwide, its maker said Wednesday. Big box retailers like Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Rite Aid said they expect Narcan to be available online and in many stores early next week.
Public health experts have long called for greater accessibility to the drug, which they describe as a key weapon against rising overdose rates. There have been more than 100,000 opioid overdose deaths in each of the past two years in the United States.
Narcan is already a staple for staff emergency and street outreach teams. Today, scientists and health officials hope that Narcan will one day become commonplace in public libraries, subways, dormitories, delis, and street vending machines.
They also predict that it could become a staple. in medicine cabinets as more and more people realize that street drugs like cocaine and counterfeit Xanax pills can be contaminated with the deadly opioid fentanyl.
Here's what you need to know about when buying this life-saving drug.
How Narcan worksNarcan is a nasal spray version of the drug naloxone, which blocks the effects of an opioid on the brain, thus saving an addicted person. such as fentanyl, heroin, or oxycodone.
A person can overdose if their breathing is slowed or stopped and the pupils of their eyes narrow to a precise point. Naloxone is generally considered so safe that experts say that in the face of a possible overdose, it is better to risk using it than to hesitate.
Each carton contains two palm-sized plunger devices, each filled with four milligrams of naloxone. The rescuer inserts the spray tip into the patient's nostril and depresses the plunger.
Usually one dose is enough to reverse an overdose in two to three minutes. But addiction experts have reported that in areas where the supply of fentanyl is large enough, a second dose may be needed.
How to use Narcan to save a lifeNarcan and other naloxone nasal sprays quickly reverse an opioid overdose and are easy to use.
How much will it cost?The cost is likely to dictate the extent of adoption of Narcan. The manufacturer, Emergent BioSolutions, suggests $44.99 as the price for the two-dose box.
“People with a bit of money and motivation will seek out this product , which is fantastic,” said Brendan Saloner, addiction policy expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “This may include concerned family members.”
But those who need Narcan the most may not be able to afford it, he added, saying that "this includes people who are homeless or in precarious financial and are at the greatest risk of overdose. »
When Narcan was only available by prescription, public and private insurance easily covered it. But these plans typically limit over-the-counter drug coverage.
Some state Medicaid programs have already announced they will cover Narcan once it becomes available for sale free. These states include Missouri, California, Massachusetts, Washington, Rhode Island, and Oregon.
The overdose drug should be more widely available, health experts have said. It will arrive in many stores next week without a prescription.
Narcan, the first opioid overdose drug approved for over-the-counter purchase, is shipping in drugstores and grocery chains nationwide, its maker said Wednesday. Big box retailers like Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Rite Aid said they expect Narcan to be available online and in many stores early next week.
Public health experts have long called for greater accessibility to the drug, which they describe as a key weapon against rising overdose rates. There have been more than 100,000 opioid overdose deaths in each of the past two years in the United States.
Narcan is already a staple for staff emergency and street outreach teams. Today, scientists and health officials hope that Narcan will one day become commonplace in public libraries, subways, dormitories, delis, and street vending machines.
They also predict that it could become a staple. in medicine cabinets as more and more people realize that street drugs like cocaine and counterfeit Xanax pills can be contaminated with the deadly opioid fentanyl.
Here's what you need to know about when buying this life-saving drug.
How Narcan worksNarcan is a nasal spray version of the drug naloxone, which blocks the effects of an opioid on the brain, thus saving an addicted person. such as fentanyl, heroin, or oxycodone.
A person can overdose if their breathing is slowed or stopped and the pupils of their eyes narrow to a precise point. Naloxone is generally considered so safe that experts say that in the face of a possible overdose, it is better to risk using it than to hesitate.
Each carton contains two palm-sized plunger devices, each filled with four milligrams of naloxone. The rescuer inserts the spray tip into the patient's nostril and depresses the plunger.
Usually one dose is enough to reverse an overdose in two to three minutes. But addiction experts have reported that in areas where the supply of fentanyl is large enough, a second dose may be needed.
How to use Narcan to save a lifeNarcan and other naloxone nasal sprays quickly reverse an opioid overdose and are easy to use.
How much will it cost?The cost is likely to dictate the extent of adoption of Narcan. The manufacturer, Emergent BioSolutions, suggests $44.99 as the price for the two-dose box.
“People with a bit of money and motivation will seek out this product , which is fantastic,” said Brendan Saloner, addiction policy expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “This may include concerned family members.”
But those who need Narcan the most may not be able to afford it, he added, saying that "this includes people who are homeless or in precarious financial and are at the greatest risk of overdose. »
When Narcan was only available by prescription, public and private insurance easily covered it. But these plans typically limit over-the-counter drug coverage.
Some state Medicaid programs have already announced they will cover Narcan once it becomes available for sale free. These states include Missouri, California, Massachusetts, Washington, Rhode Island, and Oregon.
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