Like many of us, I have a young person in my life who uses drugs, probably opiates. I don’t know many details (one usually doesn’t with addiction); she lives with her aunt for now.
On the advice of many articles and trainings, I went to a local pharmacy and asked for a prescription for Narcan (naloxone), the drug that can reverse an overdose in seconds. My plan was to give a kit to the aunt, and another to my young friend in case she, or someone that she knows, needs it.
The pharmacist was very informative and completely nonjudgmental. My insurance covered most of it. But then came the shock: the pharmacist told me that in two years, I was the first person to ask for it. We are seeing opiate overdoses every week, but clearly the word isn’t out that anyone can save a life if they have Narcan on hand, and it’s easy to get.
So here’s what you need to know: if there is an opiate user in your life, go to any pharmacy and ask for a Narcan kit. It used to be like an EpiPen, a shot that you had to give to the overdosed person. But now it’s a simple nose spray.
MassHealth covers it (according to the website) as does most insurance. It’s the only drug that is intended to be prescribed to one person and given to another. Learn how to use it. It saves a life in seconds.
The pharmacist only had one kit on hand (ordering more), so I took that and had that difficult and awkward conversation with my friend’s aunt. But in the end, she thanked me.
No one wants to believe there could be a death on the road to recovery, but unfortunately, we know better, and we can be prepared.
Beth Coates, MD
Northampton