Narcan’s availability should save many lives

The opioid epidemic continues to claim lives throughout the commonwealth. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, there were 379 opioid-related deaths in the Bay State in 2000. Last year, there were about 2,000 opioidrelated deaths among Massachusetts residents. A crucial tool in saving the lives of those who have overdosed is naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan. It is a medication, often in the form of a nasal spray, that blocks the effects of opioids during an overdose. As opioids slow breathing dramatically, especially during an overdose, the result can be death. Narcan restores normal breathing.

Narcan can now be purchased without a prescription in pharmacies across Massachusetts. Gov. Charlie Baker announced last Thursday that the state Department of Public Health issued a statewide standing order for the distribution of lifesaving drug.

“One of the things we hear all the time from folks in recovery and from their families is you just don’t know when something is going to go right or something is going to go wrong with somebody who is battling addiction,” Baker said. “The presence of Narcan, and the continued presence of expansion of people’s ability to access Narcan, will play a big role in ensuring people are here and able to start or continue their path to treatment and recovery.”

Individual pharmacies previously required special approval to provide the drug, which is billable for insurance purposes, without a prescription. The new order was mandated as part of a broader opioid bill Baker signed in August.

Opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts dropped 4 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to DPH. However, during 2018, the presence of fentanyl in overdose deaths has risen 90 percent.

As the Herald previously reported, ambulance crews recorded 3,557 “Narcotic Related Illness” transports to city hospitals last year, according to Boston Emergency Medical Services statistics — up from 2,848 the year before.

Narcan was administered 1,913 times last year, EMS reported. It was the highest tally for the overdose-reversing drug in the last five years — a factor that is credited with driving the number of opioid deaths down slightly to 187 in 2017 from 193 the year before in Boston, mirroring a similar statewide drop.

Dr. Paul Biddinger, director of the Emergency Department at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, urged “families, loved ones, even bystanders” to buy and train to use Narcan to save overdose victims.

Narcan works and we can hope that its widespread availability at Massachusetts pharmacies will continue to save lives.

In playgrounds all over the commonwealth, there are parents who are in possession of EpiPens (Epinephrine) and are prepared to use them to treat severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.

In Massachusetts, naloxone (Narcan) rescue kits are available without prescription at pharmacies across the state. Like the parents with EpiPens, adults who feel comfortable carrying Narcan should do just that.

We must keep up the good fight when it comes to battling opioid addiction in this state. Gov. Baker has shown great resolve and we must urge all of our elected leaders to do the same.