PA Officials: Families Touched By Addiction Should Have Naloxone At Home
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The opioid epidemic is now the leading cause of accidental death, killing more people every day than car crashes.
Pennsylvania health officials want to make Naloxone more readily available. Naloxone, which is sometimes sold under the brand name Narcan or Evzio, has saved the lives of tens of thousands of overdose victims. Pennsylvania is one of the first states to make it available in drug stores without a prescription.
Naloxone is a medication that can reverse the effects of an overdose. It's usually given in hospitals or by first responders. In Pennsylvania, there is a standing order from the physician general to make it available over-the-counter.
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Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania's physician general, is getting the word out to families who struggle with addiction: there's an increased risk of overdoses during the holidays. Dr. Levine says those families should have Naloxone at home just in case.
"Not enough families are aware of the standing order, and not enough families are aware that they can obtain this from their pharmacy," Dr. Levine said.
To prove the point, Dr. Levine showed that she purchased a brand-name version of Naloxone, Narcan, in a drug store. There was a small co-pay. It's covered by insurance.
"This is FDA approved and contains 4 milligrams of the medicine Naloxone," Dr. Levine said.
Narcan saved the life of 25-year-old Erika Hurt, who passed out from heroin in a car with her 10-month-old crying in the back seat. Like many addicts, she had been through rehab, but relapsed.
Jamie Smith, Erika Hurt's mother, said, "Heroin is the devil. It is the devil. Yes, heroin addicts, including my daughter, they choose to take that first hit. But then that drug takes their soul."
Experts say heroin addiction often starts with narcotic pain medications and can happen to anyone.
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"Addiction and substance abuse disorder are medical illnesses," Dr. Levine said. "They are chronic, relapsing medical conditions. This is not a moral failing, so we need to get people the treatment that they need."
If Naloxone is administered at home, you still have to call 911. Further medical intervention may be necessary, and the person who has overdosed must be referred to a treatment facility.
