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takyon writes:

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams has urged more Americans to carry the opioid overdose reversal treatment naloxone, known under brand names such as Narcan and Evzio. However, the drug and its delivery systems have become more expensive in recent years:

As opioid-related deaths have continued to climb, naloxone, a drug that can reverse overdoses, has become an important part of the public health response. When people overdosing struggle to breathe, naloxone can restore normal breathing and save their lives. But the drug has to be given quickly.

On Thursday, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued an advisory that encouraged more people to routinely carry naloxone. "The call to action is to recognize if you're at risk," he tells Morning Edition's Rachel Martin. "And if you or a loved one are at risk, keep within reach, know how to use naloxone."

[...] The medicine is now available at retail pharmacies in most states without a prescription. Between 2013 and 2015, researchers found a tenfold increase in naloxone sold by retail pharmacies in the U.S. But prices have increased along with demand. Naloxone-filled syringes that used to cost $6 apiece now cost $30 and up. A two-pack of naloxone nasal spray can cost $135 or more. And a two-pack of automatic naloxone injectors runs more than $3,700. And while it's true that naloxone can prevent many opioid-related deaths, it doesn't solve the root cause of the problem.

Also at NYT and CNN.

Related: Kroger Supermarkets to Carry Naloxone Without a Prescription
Chicago Jail Handing Out Naloxone to Inmates Upon Release
Opioid Crisis Official; Insys Therapeutics Billionaire Founder Charged; Walgreens Stocks Narcan

Original Submission

1. "takyon" - https://soylentnews.org/~takyon/
2. "urged more Americans to carry" - https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/04/05/599538089/surgeon-general-urges-more-americans-to-carry-opioid-antidote
3. "naloxone" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naloxone
4. "continued to climb" - https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6709e1.htm
5. "Jerome Adams" - https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/about/biographies/bio-sg.html
6. "found" - https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303062
7. "increased along with demand" - https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/08/08/541626627/first-responders-spending-more-on-overdose-reversal-drug
8. "naloxone nasal spray can cost $135 or more" - https://www.goodrx.com/narcan
9. "automatic naloxone injectors runs more than $3,700" - https://www.goodrx.com/evzio?drug-name=evzio
10. "NYT" - https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/05/health/opioids-naloxone-surgeon-general.html
11. "CNN" - https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/05/health/surgeon-general-naloxone/index.html
12. "Kroger Supermarkets to Carry Naloxone Without a Prescription" - https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=16/02/13/0055225
13. "Chicago Jail Handing Out Naloxone to Inmates Upon Release" - https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=17/07/31/1214218
14. "Opioid Crisis Official; Insys Therapeutics Billionaire Founder Charged; Walgreens Stocks Narcan" - https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=17/10/27/2259236
15. "Original Submission" - https://soylentnews.org/submit.pl?op=viewsub&subid=25812

printed from SoylentNews, U.S. Surgeon General Urges More Americans to Carry Naloxone on 2025-03-16 13:50:12