Should Ordinary Citizens Carry Narcan?

originally posted by: Edumakated
Basically, they were sick of reviving the same junkies multiple times and the related costs.

Yes, it can be a problem.

As #annoyedpharmacist stated, many addicts don't care about living or dying, especially when they are high, then you have the ones that play Russian Roulette with it, banking that the police will get there in time to save them.

If they are willing to take that chance with just paramedics and "some" police having the drug, what do you think is going to happen if they can up the chances because the random stranger may be carrying the medication.

It is my personal believe that the focus should be on treatment, not by putting band aides in the hands of the average citizen.

a reply to: annoyedpharmacist
Insurance is not going to reimburse the average citizen for the purchase of the medication for possible emergency use.

I doubt that physicians are going to write prescriptions to just anyone that wants to carry the medication.

An overdose is nature's solution to addiction. I don't believe this is a problem mankind can solve, especially if the only natural consequence is removed from the equation...

a reply to: rickymouse

Common sense post, Rickymouse. We don't all carry around an epi pen in case we come across someone with a pnut allergy or bee-sting having issues.

P.S. I still think your avatar pic looks like a two-toned camel, haha.

originally posted by: snowspirit

originally posted by: annoyedpharmacist

originally posted by: Middleoftheroad
How would an average citizen know if someone needs a narcan shot? Will the citizen get sued if they administered the shot without permission?

That is where education comes in. The pharmacist or doctor needs to counsel the patient getting the narcan as to what to look for. Also, it is dispensed as a nasal spray and is VERY easy to administer.

Is there any side effects or bad reactions to the narcan? Because if it's completely safe for all, including those that might not have overdosed on something, then it would be good if more people can save more lives.

worst thing with narcan is, that it puts the person into complete opiate withdraw almost immediately. so depending on heavy a user the person is, they are going to wake up swinging at you to get out of there and fix again. generally it is very safe to use, but some side effects like ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation can occur (serious reaction) and others are rather minor like nausea, tachycardia, and low blood pressure. It is still a drug, and all drugs have POSSIBLE side effects.

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn
a reply to: annoyedpharmacist
Insurance is not going to reimburse the average citizen for the purchase of the medication for possible emergency use.

I doubt that physicians are going to write prescriptions to just anyone that wants to carry the medication.

prescriptions are not needed. pharmacies have standing orders with doctors to dispense to whoever asks under that doctors name. I have collaborative practice agreements with flu shots and narcan with a local doctor.

a reply to: BelowLowAnnouncement
Unfortunately in some areas that may involve a lot of people, since almost all of us in America are close to the crisis.

There has been discussions in my circles about having it available in schools, churches, public venues, etc.

I am not against saving a life if possible, I just believe that the solution to the problem is not by encouraging addicts to play Russian Roulette with their lives.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

im not sympathetic enough to users to be bothered with carrying or administering it without it being my own family.

a reply to: annoyedpharmacist

Are you saying that the insurance companies are going to pay for these meds?

Not to derail my own thread but I had a situation just a couple of nights ago where a patient that had been the victim of a rape could not get Plan B because it was not covered by her insurance company.

So if they are going to cover Narcan for the general public, I find that interesting.

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn
a reply to: annoyedpharmacist

Are you saying that the insurance companies are going to pay for these meds?

Not to derail my own thread but I had a situation just a couple of nights ago where a patient that had been the victim of a rape could not get Plan B because it was not covered by her insurance company.

So if they are going to cover Narcan for the general public, I find that interesting.

Yes, they will and they do pay. not saying it is right or wrong here, just that is what I am seeing.

a reply to: new_here
Who is writing the prescriptions?

I can see how this could put a physician in a position of liability.

Writing a prescription for a family member or friend of an addict that is likely to overdose, without providing preventive treatment opens the doctor for law suits.

The hospital has had to Baker Act patients that family and friends have tried to tell me that they will be fine at home. Even if I believed it, I could not that risk, because if the patient went home and overdosed, again it would be my behind and my license.

a reply to: annoyedpharmacist
Then it leads me to believe it is a racket.

They will pay for Narcan for an drug overdose but they will not pay for anti-venom for a deadly snake bite. Many insurance companies will not cover even some of the most basic and much needed medications for a lot of patients, including cardiac meds, diabetic medications, pulmonary medications, etc. But they will cover the cost of a medication that may or may not be needed for treatment of a drug overdose in the hands of the general public.

Something really wrong with this.

a reply to: annoyedpharmacist

I don't think it would be responsible to ask average citizens to dispense life-endangering drugs in these days due to lawsuits etc and without 100% assurance of saving a life without endangering your own.

Addition is sad and real but this would basically take away the responsibility of the addict-and therein lies the problem with your suggestion, well meaning as it is.

Maybe those using the opioids should wear a medic pouch at all times with narcan that excludes those who save or try to save their life with a lawsuit and makes the addict responsible if they wake up hallucinating and injure the people around them.

This isn't an easy world.

a reply to: Justso

The following adverse reactions have been identified primarily during post-approval use of naloxone hydrochloride in the post-operative setting. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure: Hypotension, hypertension, ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, dyspnea, pulmonary edema, and cardiac arrest. Death, coma, and encephalopathy have been reported as sequelae of these events. Excessive doses of naloxone hydrochloride in post-operative patients have resulted in significant reversal of analgesia, and have caused agitation.

These were side effects reported in a post-op setting with medically skilled professionals in attendance. I am sure there are no available statics about the side effects in the hands of the general public with little or no medical training.

They are expecting people to call 911 before the administration of the Narcan, but it many cases the people involved do not want to risk being exposed to paramedics and the police, so many complications can arise. We have had people just dumped in ER parking lots because they didn't want to be identified as being involved with the overdose, so again, it may not be the best solution to this problem.

Common Side Effects Of Nasal Narcan

not only NO , hell no .
let the druggies get their Darwin Awards .

originally posted by: hombero
a reply to: annoyedpharmacist

Why, so they can rob me or my loved ones for their next fix? They made their decisions in life and so did I and my loved ones. Everyone doesn't get a free pass to be an idiot.

I'm sick of weirdos tweakin' in the street. They can't OD themselves fast enough let me tell ya.

As usual ... follow the money tree.

Narcan ( of course ) has an expiry date. So if you want to save the people t will cost you $150 per period of time.

The excuse ... it only costs me $10.00 because of X ... is silly.

You are paying for it one way or the other and Big Pharma gets fatter and fatter.

Ask instead, how much should this drug cost if Big Pharma wanted to actually help society ... rather than screw with it.

P

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn

On Thursday, Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued a public health advisory. In it, he emphasized the life-saving potential of naloxone, which reverses overdose symptoms by blocking and removing opioids from binding to receptors throughout the body. And in addition to calling for doctors and first responders to have more access to the drug, he also recommended that ordinary citizens closest to the crisis become well acquainted with it.

I should really put this in the rant forum. Since I work up close and personal with patients with drug addictions, I see this as nothing but a sure way to see the number of overdoses, which are already too high, to do nothing but increase.

It is easier to get someone to jump off a building if they know there is a safety net ready to catch them. This is either the worse idea they have ever come up with or scheme to make more money for Big Pharma. At $150.00 a pop, I think they will be making plenty.


Health The Opioid Epidemic Is So Bad, the Surgeon General Wants You to Carry an Overdose Antidote

I do as an Emergency Tech...at home and in my car. I also carry adult and pediactric epi-pens/syringes to reverse anaphylactic reactions wherever I am.

Home, store, beach, park... Wherever

a reply to: pheonix358

It is beyond disgusting. Big Pharma is the proverbial snake oil salesman and on a global scale.

They expect us to believe that are so loving and caring that they will cover Narcan, but will deny life saving medications for the people with life threatening diseases, the elderly, and children. What is wrong with that picture?

This is nothing but a bull crap scam. Another way to milk the system.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

I do as an Emergency Tech...at home and in my car. I also carry adult and pediactric epi-pens/syringes to reverse anaphylactic reactions wherever I am. Home, store, beach, park... Wherever

Is that your profession? Does your job provide you with the medication for off duty use?

I do not have any problem with anyone saving the life of a person in distress under any circumstances. My beef with this campaign is that it is giving a false sense of security to the addict and to the general public. The money that they are handing over to Big Pharma who is at the root of this problem sickens me.

The government in partnership with Big Pharma created this problem. Now they want us to pay for it, with our lives and our pocketbooks.