As we covered last week, nearly 1 in 10 adults in the US have lost a relative to a drug overdose, predominantly by opioids including fentanyl. One of the most effective ways of treating an opioid overdose is to administer Narcan, a nasal spray form of the medication naloxone. When sprayed into the nostril, the naloxone is quickly absorbed and gets receptors in the brain to start breathing again. Doctors and experts praise Narcan for having no adverse side effects and being, quite literally, lifesaving. While previously only available at pharmacies behind the counter, Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (the manufacturer) just announced that it will now be available for purchase over the counter this September:
In an effort to reduce the rising number of opioid overdoses in the U.S., including from fentanyl, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March approved the first over-the-counter Narcan nasal spray — a naloxone-based medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, including accidental ones in children, and save lives.
More recently, the FDA approved another medication, Opvee, a prescription nalmefene hydrochloride nasal spray for adults and adolescents 12 and older that also reverses opioid overdoses. The medication reportedly has longer-lasting effects than naloxone, though some experts have raised concerns about it also causing prolonged withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, in drug users.
Medications that can reverse an opioid overdose are something, experts say, parents should know more about. Overdose deaths in people 14 to 18 years old increased from 2019 to 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 84% of deaths involving illicitly manufactured fentanyls. Many illicit drug users are unaware they’re actually taking fentanyl, which is often mixed in with other drugs in powder or pill form, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
If your teen or someone you know is acquiring a drug that’s not from a pharmacy — from a friend at school or work or from someone online — “you should just assume it has fentanyl in it,” Dr. Jennifer Plumb, pediatric emergency medicine physician, professor in the University of Utah department of pediatrics and medical director of Utah Naloxone, tells Yahoo Life.
But teens aren’t the only ones being exposed to fentanyl. According to the FDA, infants and toddlers in particular are at risk of accidental exposure to the drug.
[From Yahoo! Life]
One important thing to note about Narcan is that it can wear off after 30-90 minutes, whereas an opioid in your system can last much longer. Because of that, it is recommended that use of Narcan always be immediately followed by a visit to the ER or urgent care. The starting suggested retail price is $44.99, and that only gets you two doses. We’ll see if the price gets knocked down because a lot of people will want to have this on hand. I hope Narcan being more accessible helps save a lot of lives.
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