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For injectors in Chi-town

zorn

zorn

Bluelighter
Joined
Nov 11, 2001
Messages
5,636
Location
Kansas, USA
I recently visited the local needle exchange folks, Any Positive Change. Pretty nice -- they didn't even ask for my name, and tossed a box of 200 syringes, alcohol pads, and a bunch of sterile water at me. Got no shit for being a couple of white boys in a Southside ghetto where we obviously didn't belong.
Additionally -- here's the interesting part -- I asked them for some Narcan, and after a couple questions, they agreed to write me a prescription and give me some. So if you're in the area and want some naloxone for treating overdoses without the hassle of involving cops/ambulances, check them out. They have locations all over Chicago.
-Zorn
 
Sucks I no longer live in Chicago, they sound like a real swell operation.. I didn't know needle exchanges had doctors on hand to write prescriptions - thats fucking awesome they would dispense Narcan - tell me, is that for tablets or the injectable form? If you're getting it for overdose protection the tablets would really be worthless (for obvious reasons) .. will they prescribe other things such as methadone?
Anyway, thanks for the hookup, I'm sure it will be of great help to many people! Be sure to post that on ODU as well..
 
The impression I got was that it is injectable -- their website talks about this a little bit. Problem is, I didn't actually pick up the naloxone. The woman didn't have any on her (this was their roaming van) and wanted me to meet her at her office after they closed. As I didn't wanna hang around the southside for a few hours, she told me to go to the main office sometime... which I will do next time I score. I'll give you all an update.
Incidentally, the needles are 27 gauge -- not quite as nice as 29, but not bad.
[ 22 April 2002: Message edited by: zorn ]
 
GREAT TIP zorn!
I was on the west side partying with my little sister last weekend. She shot two dimes worth of dope (the kind that comes in capsules), and she completely fell out. I mean her eyes were wide open, lips were turning blue....she looked like she was dead. I'm driving up Cicero Ave going through every stoplight trying to get to Loretto Hospital, when she finally takes a deep breath and woke up! I honestly thought I was going to lose her.
So, yeah...that's when I realized how handy it would be to have some Narcan on me. That isn't the first time I've been with someone when they've OD'd. So next time I'm downtown, I'll have to check out that needle exchange...
 
Originally posted by Mr. Frink:
GREAT TIP zorn!
So, yeah...that's when I realized how handy it would be to have some Narcan on me. That isn't the first time I've been with someone when they've OD'd. So next time I'm downtown, I'll have to check out that needle exchange...
also, take a weekend CPR class. Seriously. OD victims can be kept alive quite easily with assisted breathing- hard to do in a car- but can be done- takes two but can easily be the difference between life/death. Narcan is great, but has it's problems in the wrong hands... CPR is easy to learn/do...
doc
Click to expand...
 
Glad to be of help... though actually I gotta give props to u40915, a fellow BL'er who discovered it for me.
Mr. Frink, drop me an email, we should get together sometime...
 
Methadone is a C-II drug, I don't see how there could be some restriction on licenced doctors prescribing it - a HUGE number of chronic pain patients are prescribed methadone for the management of their condition.. I checked illinois prescribing regulations and it's simply marked as a C-II drug requiring a triplicate prescription, I find nothing stating that it can ONLY be dispensed through an addiction treetment facility.. if the state IS that hard on that type thing (and again, I am confident this isn't the case) then I couldn't see clinics GIVING OUT Narcan - it's not somethingyou just hand out to any junky that wants to play doctor next time someone phishes out (though it could save more lives then it would ultimately take) .. having spent a ton of time browsing chronic pain support forums, people from all over the US take methadone every day .. overall heroin addiction only accounts for a moderate percent of methadone dispensed in the US ..
 
blahblahblah--
I'm aware of the complications with Narcan... complications from its administration (like the convlusions you described) occur in like 3-5% of cases, and them needing medical care is one of the primary arguments against giving out take-home naloxone.
I likely won't be down to Chicago for another few weeks, I'll post again when I do. My impression was that it was injectable, cause like you said, tablets would be useless... in addition all their instructions only made sense wrt injectable form.
Note that they didn't offer it, I had to ask, and claim that I was told they would prescribe it to me, and that I knew how to use it....
 
blahblahblah: FYI in Australia methadone is supplied by approved community pharmacies (not specialist clinics). It can only be prescribed by registered Doctor's, who can be GP's or specialist's, doesn't matter as long as they do a short course administered by the Medical Board. Not many Dr's elect to do it though, which can mean travelling some way to get a script. But at least people cn get their methadone in their own suburb.
 
Hmmm sounds like some organizational confusion. I went to the roaming van in Englewood, became a member right then (now I'm a card-carrying junkie, hah). A friend and I went down there with maybe 50 used needles between us -- the woman there (after some perfunctory cursing) didn't even glance at em, just threw us each a box of 200. Perhaps she just didn't give a damn about the official rules.
 
blahblahblah -In new Zealand you can pick up for methadone at drugstores/ clinics as well. you do have do go through the clinic though & pick up your dose from there for the first month i think it is, it does vary from area to area though.
All in all it sounds a lot better than the US system, i think it takes 3 months before you can get take-aways & it's free.
We also have needle exchanges in all cities, some are free if you have a dirty to swap otherwise it's up to a dollar & you can buy a box of 200 if you want, no problem, for me to buy fits i have to travell an hour & a half to a different state, fucking stupid laws!
[ 08 May 2002: Message edited by: *kell* ]
 
I have a few questions about these guys since I'm going to be in Chicago for a little bit...
What exactly, if anything, are they going to require for me to use ALL of thier thier services? Especially if I'm shooting for accquiring some narcan, is it possible at any point I'll need a state I.D? Needles to Exchange?
I got almost all of my questions answered on thier website but a couple, then my media player fucked up, still as far as I can tell, these guys are as good as Jesus in a Van, maybe even better...
 
My ex-girlfriend who has fibromyalgia was prescribed Methadone 5mg QID and it was
written on a regular script and we got
it filled at the local Medi-Cap.
We live in Illinois.This was a pain-managment
doctor of course,but some ( just some ) pharmacies
carrry it and it can be prescribed for pain in tablet form.
 
BLAH-i have a friend that has been taking METHADONE at a clinic every morning..i live in illinois and the clinic is in JOLIET, about 50 miles SOUTH of Chicago..my buddy told me all he had to do to get going on the meth was bring his girlfriend to act as a witness that he had been using heroin for the past few months, and they signed him up on methadone...he told me it was as simple as that...he pays $40 per week and he gets fixed up every day..they try to get him to lower his doses, but he refuses..
 
Originally posted by blahblahblah:
I know you said you worked at a pharmacy for awhile, did you ever see a big jar of methadone or a big bottle of methadone wafers?
Yes, we had methadone in all doses including the syrup, and we dispensed a fair amount of it .. the scheduling laws in Illinois classify it as a C-II drug, any licenced doctor could prescribe it, at least I see nothing to the contrary.. now not many doctors will treat addicts, so that could be a reason your doctors said they wouldn't (or couldn't) prescribe it - it's very sesitive to be giving an addict ANY type of drugs, most doctors that don't specialize in addiction wouldn't want to take the risk of giving out dope to a junkie ..
You say methadone is such a bad drug? I really don't agree with that.. yeah, for most people you're not going to get high from taking it, but many, many people report that it's wonderfull for pain management, and of course it greatly helps those fighting narcotic withdrawal...
Click to expand...
 
Methadone is usually prescribed for severe pain in the form of Dolophine (tradename).
Straight from rxlist:
CONDITIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION AND
USE OF METHADONE PRODUCTS:
Code of Federal Regulations,
Title 21, Sec, 291.505
METHADONE PRODUCTS, WHEN USED FOR TREATMENT OF NARCOTIC ADDICTION IN DETOXIFICATION OR MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS, SHALL BE DISPENSED ONLY BY APPROVED HOSPITAL PHARMACIES APPROVED COMMUNITY PHARMACIES, AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS APPROVED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND THE DESIGNATED STATE AUTHORITY.
APPROVED MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS SHALL DISPENSE AND USE METHADONE IN ORAL FORM ONLY AND ACCORDING TO THE TREATMENT REQUIREMENTS STIPULATED IN THE FEDERAL METHADONE REGULATIONS (21 CFR 291.505).
FAILURE TO ABIDE BY THE REQUIREMENTS IN THESE REGULATIONS MAY RESULT IN CRIMINAL PROSECUTION, SEIZURE OF THE DRUG SUPPLY REVOCATION OF THE PROGRAM APPROVAL AND INJUNCTION PRECLUDING OPERATION OF THE PROGRAM.
A METHADONE PRODUCT WHEN USED AS AN ANALGESIC, MAY BE DISPENSED IN ANY LICENSED PHARMACY.
 
I don't think methadone is a shitty drug - it does it's job and it does it well, however, it wont get you fucked up like other opioids ..
I DO agree that methadone should only be used fior a regulated amount of time... no more of this putting someone of methadone then leaving them for the rest of their life... yer just trading one addiction for another...
 
My little sis is a member of the ChicagoRecoveryAlliance, and today I accompanied her to the same needle exchange thatZorn described in his OP.
I asked about getting a 'script for Narcan, and the lady told me right away that it would be "no problem". Except there was a problem...she forgot her presciption pad. So she told me to go to the van that's parked on Cicero Avenue (actually on 16th Street, East of Cicero)Wednesday nights. There's a doc in the van then, and he would be more than happy to write out a Narcan script on the spot. She told me that I'd have to sit through a 15 minute orientation, where he would explain exactly how to use it, and everything else you should know about treating an overdose.
Sounds very good to me...so I'm planning on going Wed night. Just wanted to pass the word on to ChiDopers that Zorn's info is accurate, and every junkie should look into to getting some Narcan. You don't want to have someone die on you, and leave you with the thought "...if only I had some Narcan on me, they'd still be alive..."
 
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