Narcan opioid overdose-reversing treatment now available

OMAK – On Wednesday, March 29, the Food and Drug Administration approved over-the-counter availability of the opioid overdose treatment Naloxone more commonly known as Narcan. What that means to citizens is that the life-saving treatment can now be acquired without a prescription by anyone who wants to have it on hand in the event of an overdose emergency.

That may be news to many, but the Okanogan County Health Department is ahead of the curve where it concerns Narcan use by residents here. Lauri Jones Community Health Director at Okanogan County Public Health has been a practitioner and promoter of what she calls “harm reduction” for many years. Narcan is one of those tools.

“I view harm reduction as bike helmets, designated drivers, face masks, and seat belts,” said Jones. “Syringe exchange and Narcan is harm reduction.”

Jones was an early proponent of Narcan training.

“Several years ago, through a grant through the University of Washington we were able to train Oroville, the county Sheriff’s Office, Brewster and Omak police departments,” said Jones. When we first got it years ago the only thing we had was injectable. Once the infra-nasal became available it was great.”

Jones said that before the FDA approval her department had to have a standing order for Narcan from the health officer to acquire it.

“We’re seeing a lot of overdoses in the county,” Jones said.

Now, the ease of obtaining the overdose treatment is only exceeded by the simplicity of administering it. Jones recommends a three-step process:

1. Call – or have someone call - 911.
2. If the victim is lying down, tilt the head back, chin up.
3. Administer the single spray dose in the nasal passage.

The good news is that if the treatment is applied to someone who is not experiencing an overdose, the medication will do no harm.

The last person one would expect to see carrying a dose of Narcan is the county coroner whose callouts are for deceased individuals. Jones convinced Okanogan County Coroner Dave Rodriguez to carry a treatment anyway.

“You never know…” Jones cautioned.

Rodriguez told The Quad what happened next:

‘I was driving home. I have the same radio as law enforcement,” said Rodriguez. “I hear a dispatch to an overdose at a residential address and I am literally a block away. I have the Narcan even though as a coroner I never expect I’ll need it.”

Rodriguez administered the Narcan to the heroin overdose victim whose roommate had placed the 911 call. When the victim revived, Rodriguez told him it was the only time he would actually see a coroner.

Syringe exchange

“We have a harm reduction syringe exchange program that we started back in 2006 with the North American Syringe Exchange Network that is the only one in the region,” said Jones. “We were doing HIV case management and had a clientele who were injecting drugs.”

“Our whole mitigation was disease prevention – Hepatitis B, Hep C, and HIV,” said Jones. “We recognized we weren’t going to change behavior; people were going to get syringes, or use the same one, or use someone else’s and get a disease which is a greater cost to society in the long run if they are spreading disease.”

Recovery Navigator Program

“We have a Recovery Navigator Program that has a Narcan vending machine where anyone can come and get Narcan,” Jones said.

The office is located at 523 Riverside Drive in Omak. Crystal Gunn, the lead recovery outreach specialist and Sam Cain, a recovery outreach specialist are both with AdvanceNW on staff there from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon-Fri.

“And we do have an on-call phone at 509-426-3274, that we have in our possession 24-7,” Gunn said.

“We work with individuals who suffer from substance use disorder and/or mental health challengers and create pathways and connect them with resources within and outside the community.” said Gunn. “If family members need Narcan they are more than welcome to come here and get it for friends, family, anybody that needs it.”

Gunn encourages widespread participation.

“It’s a very simple training and I recommend that everybody have Narcan on their person or in their vehicle at all times.” said Gunn. “Even children who are of age to understand how to administer Narcan. I have heard of children saving a parent’s life.”

Gunn repeated the assurance given by Jones that the treatment has no adverse effects if administered to someone not experiencing an overdose.