Back in March, the FDA approved over-the-counter sales of the drug Narcan, which can reverse opioid overdoses. Narcan is a nasal spray version of naloxone and is now available in stores or online at retailers such as Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid.
Audrey Holbrook is the Executive Director at RavenCares in Morehead. She said one dose of Narcan can be the difference between life and death.
“Narcan is really all about harm reduction and saving someone’s life. It actually can restart their heart and restart their breathing so that way they can get proper medical attention,” said Holbrook.
In Kentucky, one of the leading causes of deaths is accidental overdose, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Holbrook said people may not know what they’re consuming until it’s too late.
“Here recently, people are actually thinking they are getting a certain substance, and they’re not. They’re getting substances that are mixed with fentanyl, which can cause a fatal overdose very quickly,” said Holbrook.
Narcan can be purchased for roughly $45. Holbrook said there are alternative ways to obtain and store Narcan.
“There are local health departments around that, if you go in and request Narcan, a lot of times they will give you Narcan for free as well as the probation and parole office. You don’t want to keep them super super cold or super super hot, but the temperature does not drastically effect it, like the one that’s been in my car, it will still be effective if I need to use it, it just may not be as effective,” said Holbrook.
Holbrook said RavenCares offers help in funding for Narcan and other forms of addiction recovery treatment.