Pharmacist Jan explains how naloxone (Narcan) reverses opioid overdoses by blocking opioid receptors and restoring breathing. The nasal spray works across all ages, costs roughly $140-$150 for two doses, and requires calling 911 after use. Withdrawal symptoms like nausea and panic may follow but aren't dangerous.
Questions this video answers
2–3 minutes
Two doses (box of two)
Approximately $140–$150 retail (cash)
About $60 (copay high end mentioned)
Example device expires April 2020; speaker estimates shelf-life about 1.5–2 years
Chapters
The information in this video is life saving. We're going to learn all about naloxone, the medication that when given during an overdose from pain pills or heroin, can reverse that overdose and save a life. So naloxone is the new medicines that like EMS is carrying and police officers are carrying and environment are carrying, and you give it to people when they're having an overdose of pain pills, heroin, any kind of opiate, is that right?
That's exactly right, yes.
Can you tell us about that, what it is? Why do they give it to people when they're overdosing? Kind of what happens?
So during an overdose, you of course have too much of the opioid or heroin in your system. And the wonderful thing about naloxone is it does bind to the opioid receptors to reverse that. There's no too much to give. So infant, child, adult, same dosage. So you can't give too much naloxone for an opioid overdose.
The way I think about this might be silly. You can tell me if I'm wrong, but in my brain, I imagine it like there's. If you give it to someone, it's like these little corks like you put in a wine bottle, and it goes into the receptor sites in the brain.
And plugs it all up. Yes.
So it can't absorb.
Exactly. Is that right?
Yes.
And it will reverse it.
Yeah. Okay. So it stops from absorbing more and more and more. Because what happens in an overdose?
So in an overdose, basically, you just. Your respiration stop. They slowly, you know, it gets slower and slower and then it stops.
And then it stops. And so if someone's in overdose, you give them this, it stops that process?
Yes.
Okay. Does it put someone into withdrawal to give him this medicine?
You can.
Yes.
You can have nausea, your heart rate will increase, you can experience mild withdrawal symptoms, but it's not dangerous. Okay.
This client, or he's actually not a client, this friend of mine, I did his story not long ago and he was talking about. This was years ago, he had overdosed. He ended up in the emergency room. His mom was there. And the doctor said, this is going to be ugly, but we have to do this. And they gave him. So he like, hawked out?
Yes.
Do people hulk out? I just want families to know, like, be prepared what could happen.
They can, but it's not dangerous, right? Okay, it's not dangerous, it's not fun, and it's not pretty all the time, but your family member or your loved.
One is going to be alive okay, so when. When he says hulk out, or when you say it's not pretty, what does that really look like? Just because I want people to know, like, this is what's supposed to happen and it's okay.
Oh, nausea, vomiting, maybe like panic feeling with your heart rate. Okay, so it. Yeah, it doesn't feel good.
Is it like on Pulp Fiction when they put that needle in her? Have you seen that? Is it crazy like that?
No, not that dramatic.
No. Okay.
No. And. And you. You may or may not experience the withdrawal symptoms, but it can happen.
Okay, I got you.
Yeah.
Okay. But it's not pretty, but it saves a life.
So it doesn't matter. It does not matter. It does not matter. Vomit. Do whatever you want to do. You do whatever it takes, but you're gonna live.
That's right. And that's important.
Okay.
And so when it first came out, it was in an injectable and you can still get it that way, Is that right?
Yes, it is an injection similar to like an EpiPen, where it's just an auto. It's a pre filled pen. You just pop the top, basically it. And use it. Right.
You don't have to have any skill.
Or skill at all. No.
But now they also have it in a nasal spray.
In a nasal spray, exactly. Yes. And I have the nasal spray.
All right.
Right here. It comes in a box of two, which is nice because, you know, sometimes you're going to need more than 1 Before EMS comes.
Oh, I didn't know that. Okay, so tell me about that. How would you know? Like, if you did one and it didn't work, you would do another one, right?
Okay, so you would use one nostril, wait two to three minutes. If their breathing is still slow, if they have not regained consciousness, then you do the other one in the other nostril. Okay?
Yeah, yeah.
So when you. So you get this, and you're gonna make sure it's in date, okay. And there's a flap that you can open. So in an emergency you have this to show you exactly what to do, to remind you. Okay.
And so then you take it out and just squirt like a nasal spray would.
Take it out. It's in here. You're just gonna put it in there. Just put your fingers on there and get it to where your fingers are hitting the patient's nostril. Okay.
And squirt. Get up in there.
Get up in there. Okay. You're gonna put them on their back. If you do suspect an overdose, just put them on the Floor flat on their back. Put your hand up under their neck, tilt the head back and then squirt.
Okay.
Then you call 91 1.
You definitely call 91 1.
If you're gonna use, if you use this, call 91 1. Be enough, depending on the overdose. Okay.
Would it hurt someone if that wasn't what was happening to them and you thought it wasn't good?
It's not. No, it's not.
Okay, so you're not going to go wrong.
You're not going to go wrong again. If you have a two year old that has gotten into to maybe some previous surgery meds or dental procedure meds.
Got into the cabinet somehow?
Yeah.
Okay.
You were scared, you do it? Yeah.
Okay. And how do you get it?
So you go to your pharmacy. Well, in South Carolina, pharmacists now can dispense this without a prescription.
Okay.
So you go to your pharmacy and just request it. They can bill it to your insurance. And the copays vary from zero up.
Okay.
The retail is I guess around 140, 150, depending on the pharmacy. If you just pay cash for it.
Okay.
It's for two doses, but with insurance it will pay. Okay, so it'll pay some. Okay, maybe not all.
Is there like an average coupe or what's on the high end just so.
People know what to expect? The high end that I've seen is about $60. Okay. But it's $60 to save someone's life.
Save someone's life, yeah, yeah. Does it go out of date quickly? Like if you had it at your house for a couple years, would it be okay?
So this we just got. And it expires April 2020. Okay, so you're good.
So it lasts a long time. Quite a long time.
Yeah. A year and a half, two years.
Who do you recommend have this on hand? Like who should have this stuff?
Anyone. If you take opioids for whatever pain you have, pain management, this is a good idea to have around just for accidental overdoses. It doesn't mean if you have this, it does not mean you're addicted or that you're. Whatever perception you may have, just forget about it. This is just safety.
It's really good just to have in your emergency first aid home kit.
Absolutely, yeah. If you take opioids or if someone in your house or someone you love does have a problem with opioids, okay. This could save them to have it on hand.
Okay. And so you were telling me earlier, it's not over the counter, it is prescription. But the pharmacy you go to the pharmacist can do.
We do have prescriptive authority for Narcan.
Okay. And are you guys. Are people getting this stuff from you guys? Are you selling a lot of it?
We are selling. We're selling some to people that are on opioids for some chronic pain issues they have. Or maybe they're taking opioids and also taking a benzodiazepine like Xanax, Valium, like that, something like that. That will. Benzodiazepines kind of enhance an opioid so you are more likely to overdose.
Right.
Take those together. So this is just good to have and to show your spouse or someone in your house. Hey, if I ever am not responsive, if my breathing is slow, if I have pinpoint pupils. So it looked.
I mean, it looks like what you're thinking. If someone stopped breathing, basically. Okay. And if someone were having a heart attack but you thought it was that you're not gonna hurt them.
Not gonna hurt.
Okay.
No.
What did I not ask you, Dan, that I should have asked you if.
You have someone that you care about that abuses opioids, is addicted to opioids or just someone that takes them responsibly. This is good to have.
Gotcha. Well, thank you for coming to South Carolina.
I'm a pharmacist at Sadler Hughes. Apothecary in the snow.
There's snow outside.
There. I came here, so.
Yes.
And we do stock this. If you're in the Clinton area, you.
Can go see Jan.
Call your local pharmacy.
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