ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A potentially life-saving antidote for opioid overdoses is now available without a prescription across much of Minnesota, health officials said Friday.
The Minnesota Department of Health hosted a training session to show residents how to administer naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, during an opioid overdose. Officials said the growing availability of the antidote - made legal to obtain without a prescription earlier this year - will help prevent overdose deaths as Minnesota residents struggle with opioid addiction.
The doctors and health leaders at the event, which was held to publicize the new law, said naloxone isn’t a replacement for drug treatment. Still, it can play an important role in saving lives as the state battles an epidemic that has swept across many parts of the country.
Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Edward Ehlinger said that opioid problems have become so widespread that having the overdose drugs on hand and knowing how to administer them is an important part of “health literacy,” much like learning CPR or carrying an epi-pen.
Not all pharmacies are fully equipped to start distributing naloxone, but many Walgreens and all CVS stores have already begun selling the antidote, which comes in either a nasal spray or injectable form.
Department of Health Medical Director Ruth Lynfield said anyone can get the antidote, and it is especially important for drug users, their families and loved ones to have multiple doses on hand because more than one dose is often required before first responders arrive.
She said non-responsiveness, blue lips and extremely small pupils are all signs of an overdose.
The risk of opioid overdose has grown especially high, she said, and there are a number of both legal, prescription medication and illicit street drugs that pose a serious chance of overdose.
A dose of injectable naloxone costs around $45 dollars and the nasal version is a little more than a hundred. But many insurance plans - such as Minnesota Medicaid - may cover part or all of the cost.
Ehlinger said opioid overdoses have surpassed traffic accidents as the number one cause of preventable death in Minnesota. The Center for Disease Control says that 91 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose.
“The fact is that people who take pain pills are at risk for overdose, people who use heroin are at high-risk of drug overdose,” he said. “The risk of overdose spans all populations: young and old, men and women, metro and rural.”
The department is urging anyone who has more questions about opioid dependence and overdose to reach out or visit their website for more information.
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