Missouri pharmacies approved to prescribe Narcan

MISSOURI (KBSI) – Narcan the lifesaving drug, is now available to the public. Pharmacies in Missouri are now able to prescribe Narcan to any person at risk of an overdose.

“It reverses the effects of an opioid medication,” says Katrina Hillier. She is director of operations at John’s Pharmacy. She says anyone in the general public is able to get a prescription for Narcan.

“We’re seeing a movement now where we want Narcan to be available for first responders, or just anyone in general that cares for a loved one, that you know more and more of our general population, can be on opioids,” said Hillier. “We’re seeing kind of an increase, of opioid overdoses.”

One prescription of Narcan can carry up to 24 refills.

“It’s simply just a simple nasal spray,” said Chris Miller with the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. “It’s like Flonase, or any kind of itemized nose spray that you use, you just take it and push it up someone’s nose, and that can reverse the effects of an overdose.”

Miller explains that the drug will help to slow someone’s breathing, but sometimes it requires CPR if the person stops responding or breathing.

“If you ever come across someone and they won’t wake up for you, and you look at their chest and you don’t see that rise and fall, within five to ten seconds, you don’t see the breathing; they’re not talking to you; they’re not responding at all, then we need to start CPR and keep that blood moving,” he said.

Miller says that Cape Girardeau EMS sees two to four overdoses a month, so the availability of Narcan is now life changing, and lifesaving.

Eligible candidates for a Naloxone prescription:

• People who voluntarily request naloxone and are at risk of experiencing an
  opiate-related overdose, including but not limited to:
  • People with current use of non-prescription opioids or other illicit substances, or persons with a history of such use
  • People with a history of opioid intoxication or overdose and/or recipients of emergency medical care for acute opioid poisoning
  • People with a high dose opioid prescription (>50 morphine mg equivalents per day)
  • People with an opioid prescription and known or suspected concurrent alcohol use – Persons from opioid detoxification and mandatory abstinence programs
  • People entering methadone maintenance treatment programs (for addiction or pain)
  • Persons with opioid prescription and smoking/COPD or other respiratory illness or obstruction
  • People with an opioid prescription who also suffer from renal dysfunction, hepatic disease, cardiac disease, HIV/AIDS
  • People who may have difficulty accessing emergency medical services
  • People enrolled in prescription lock-in programs
  • People who voluntarily request naloxone and are the family member or friend of a person at risk of experiencing an opiate-related overdose.
  • People who voluntarily request naloxone and are in the position to assist a person at risk of experiencing an opiate- related overdose

Anyone unable to cover the cost the cost of Naloxone even after insurance, coupons and other resources can go to Get MO Naloxone for free resources near you.