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Iowa pharmacies will give away 2,000 Narcan kits for free
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) ? Pharmacists across the state will hand out free doses of naloxone next Friday in a move to help halt the deadly opioid epidemic.
The Narcan spray can revive someone who overdosed on heroin or painkillers within minutes. The giveaway is an effort to make the usually expensive, lifesaving spray available to all Iowans.
"Having this available in the case of an opioid overdose can mean the difference between life and death," state Rep. John Forbes, who is also a pharmacist, said.
His pharmacy in Urbandale is one of more than 350 pharmacies throughout Iowa that will give away 2,000 Narcan kits, which contain two doses each, for free on June 29. The price is about $140 for one kit.
"We're often injected right into those situations," said Mark McCulloch, deputy chief for West Des Moines EMS.
In 2010, his department administered 10 doses. In 2017, it administered 48 doses. "We see people die from narcotic overdoses," McCulloch said. "That's horrific in itself."
Opiates -- from heroin to prescription painkillers -- take away the body's natural drive to breathe.
"That's what they die from," McCulloch said. "They essentially suffocate from not breathing. Narcan interferes with that process."
McCulloch said it's still critical to take overdose victims to the hospital.
"Narcan's not a definitive treatment," he said. "Many times, the overdose, the narcotic, will last longer than the Narcan. So they still need to be seen by a physician."
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, there were 67 opioid overdose deaths in Iowa in 2016.
Forbes said Narcan is giving families a fighting chance.
"In fact, we had one patient last year who got it for his daughter, and within 30 days, he had to use it on his daughter and it saved her life," Forbes said.
The Iowa Department of Public Health is using $150,000 in federal grant money to fund the Narcan giveaway.
For a list of pharmacies participating in Naloxone Access Day, click here.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) ? Pharmacists across the state will hand out free doses of naloxone next Friday in a move to help halt the deadly opioid epidemic.
The Narcan spray can revive someone who overdosed on heroin or painkillers within minutes. The giveaway is an effort to make the usually expensive, lifesaving spray available to all Iowans.
"Having this available in the case of an opioid overdose can mean the difference between life and death," state Rep. John Forbes, who is also a pharmacist, said.
His pharmacy in Urbandale is one of more than 350 pharmacies throughout Iowa that will give away 2,000 Narcan kits, which contain two doses each, for free on June 29. The price is about $140 for one kit.
"We're often injected right into those situations," said Mark McCulloch, deputy chief for West Des Moines EMS.
In 2010, his department administered 10 doses. In 2017, it administered 48 doses. "We see people die from narcotic overdoses," McCulloch said. "That's horrific in itself."
Opiates -- from heroin to prescription painkillers -- take away the body's natural drive to breathe.
"That's what they die from," McCulloch said. "They essentially suffocate from not breathing. Narcan interferes with that process."
McCulloch said it's still critical to take overdose victims to the hospital.
"Narcan's not a definitive treatment," he said. "Many times, the overdose, the narcotic, will last longer than the Narcan. So they still need to be seen by a physician."
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, there were 67 opioid overdose deaths in Iowa in 2016.
Forbes said Narcan is giving families a fighting chance.
"In fact, we had one patient last year who got it for his daughter, and within 30 days, he had to use it on his daughter and it saved her life," Forbes said.
The Iowa Department of Public Health is using $150,000 in federal grant money to fund the Narcan giveaway.
For a list of pharmacies participating in Naloxone Access Day, click here.
