Recently Governor Ducey signed a new law allowing Naloxone also know as Narcan to be dispensed without a prescription. Narcan is a miracle drug to me. As a paramedic I would give Narcan to a patient down from a heroin overdose in respiratory arrest. Within in seconds the patient would wake up, many times mad because we ruined their high. That is until we told them if we would have arrived a few minutes later, they would be dead.
Please, if you know anyone who either uses opioid for pain, or abuses heroin or opioids to keep some Narcan on hand. There's no need for an IV like the old days, it's delivered by a simple nasal spray.
For those who abuse heroin or opioids there's an app for that too. It's called Remote Egg Timer and it's for those who abuse drugs. Currently it's only available at the Android App Store.
Remote Egg Timer allows you to set a contact person, time, and GPS locator. When the user shoots up they start the timer, in 10 minutes an alarm goes off asking if they're ok. If they don't respond, a text message is sent to your contact saying something like "I used call 911".
This app would also be good for those people who are a little stubborn when having chest pain, shortness of breath or stroke symptoms like our neighbor. She had left arm pain for 2 1/2 hours before calling for help.
Please if you have chest pain, arm pain, or shortness of breath, call 911.
The purpose of this blog is to educate people in Dolan Springs, Meadview, White Hills about how to reduce response times for emergency medical services that can range from minutes to hours
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Prices soar on the drug-overdose antidote Narcan THIS IS WRONG
Governor Doug Ducey signed a bill last month that allows pharmacists to dispense a drug called Naloxone or Narcan for opioid overdoses without a prescription. Naloxone is a miracle drug, it can reverse an overdose in seconds.
As a paramedic I would find an overdose victim down in respiratory distress and barely breathing. I would start an IV and give the patient a dose of Naloxone. In most cases the within seconds the patient is breathing and is soon alert and oriented.
Pharmacies are over charging for various medications. When pharmacies placed quotas on pain medications, the cost for 90 100 mg extended release morphine tablets went from $200 to over $1000 at K-Mart in Kingman. Prices also went up on Naloxone, the drug used to save people from opioid overdoses.
Soon after a similar bill allowing the use of Naloxone passed in several states, one company raised the cost of their two pack of Naloxone from $575 to more than $3,700. I'm sorry but Naloxone is not an expensive drug, and should be given to anyone who takes opioid pain medications just in case of an overdose. In Dolan Springs this could mean the difference between life and death for an accidental overdose.
http://www.12news.com/news/local/arizona/prices-soar-on-drug-overdose-antidote/229180559
As a paramedic I would find an overdose victim down in respiratory distress and barely breathing. I would start an IV and give the patient a dose of Naloxone. In most cases the within seconds the patient is breathing and is soon alert and oriented.
Pharmacies are over charging for various medications. When pharmacies placed quotas on pain medications, the cost for 90 100 mg extended release morphine tablets went from $200 to over $1000 at K-Mart in Kingman. Prices also went up on Naloxone, the drug used to save people from opioid overdoses.
Soon after a similar bill allowing the use of Naloxone passed in several states, one company raised the cost of their two pack of Naloxone from $575 to more than $3,700. I'm sorry but Naloxone is not an expensive drug, and should be given to anyone who takes opioid pain medications just in case of an overdose. In Dolan Springs this could mean the difference between life and death for an accidental overdose.
http://www.12news.com/news/local/arizona/prices-soar-on-drug-overdose-antidote/229180559