This is really good news for the opioid epidemic. Making Narcan available without a doctor’s note will help save many lives. According to the CDC, more than 100,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2021. And 75% of these cases involved an opioid. Opioids include medicines like Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Morphine, and Codeine. But the main opioid that caused over 71,000 overdose deaths is Fentanyl. Fentanyl is about 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
Narcan is a nasal spray that can stop an opioid overdose. It’ll be available in stores like CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Walmart. It’ll also be in convenience stores, airports, vending machines, and available online.
As for the cost, each package will contain two 4-milligram doses and will be priced around $45. Normally, insurance companies don't pay for products you can buy without a prescription. So, if you can't afford this medicine, I suggest getting in touch with local health departments or community centers. They might give it away free of charge.
Narcan is super fast and can save a life in just a few minutes. But it needs to be given right away – by spraying it into the nose.
Usually, one dose of Narcan is enough to stop an overdose. However, there are two doses in case a person doesn't respond after two to three minutes or if someone administers it incorrectly.
What’s great about Narcan is that it can be given to anyone, including children. Even though most overdoses happen to adults, there have been almost 9,000 overdose deaths in kids and teenagers between 1999 and 2016.
As for how to recognize an overdose, here are some signs to look for:
- Very small pupils, like tiny dots
- Falling asleep or losing consciousness
- Breathing really slow, weak, or not at all
- Hearing choking or gurgling sounds
- Limp body and
- Pale, blue, or cold skin
It's a good idea for people to carry Narcan or keep it at home. The medicine is safe to use even if you’re not sure if someone is overdosing or not. Overdose deaths are still a leading cause of injury-related deaths, and every day, more than 150 Americans die from overdoses related to opioids. And I really think that Narcan can help lower these numbers.
