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Overdose antidote soon available to public The public will soon be able to get a drug-overdose antidote from a pharmacist without a prescription. Photo courtesy of washington.edu Sunday Oct 9, 2016 at 12:01 AM Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune @VickieAldous The public soon will be able to get a drug-overdose antidote from a pharmacist without a prescription. An Oregon rule change that went into effect Sept. 7 allows people who use heroin or opiate painkillers such as OxyContin to buy the overdose antidote naloxone without a prescription at a pharmacy as long as they read instructions first. Friends, family members or anyone else concerned about the risk of overdose can go through the same process to get the antidote. "I think it's a great opportunity for people to have this life-saving medication," said Oregon Pharmacy Board Executive Director Marcus Watt. However, most pharmacies aren't yet able to provide naloxone without a prescription. This spring, the Oregon Legislature approved the expansion of naloxone's availability, with the change initially set to take effect in January 2017. But with people dying of overdoses, the state is trying to fast-track that process, Watt said. The board is working to get information to pharmacies, he said. "We're playing catch-up," Watt said. "The chains are gearing up. The independents may take a little longer." Eventually people who want naloxone can go to a pharmacist, who will hand them a seven-page document to read. The document outlines overdose symptoms, instructs people to call 911 and walks them through the process of administering the antidote (either by injection or nasal spray) and aiding the victim with chest compressions and rescue breathing. The pharmacist will then ask a few questions and the person will sign a statement saying they read the training, Watt said. "The person keeps the training document," he noted. Prescription opiate painkillers and illegal opiate-based street drugs such as heroin can suppress or stop breathing. "People will appear to be dead or almost dead. They receive a dose of naloxone and 30 seconds to two minutes later, they're up and walking around," Watt said. Because the effects of drugs can last longer than the naloxone, the overdose victim may later need an additional dose, he said. A person who calls 911 to get help for a person overdosing is protected by Oregon's Good Samaritan Law from being prosecuted for drug-related charges or a probation or parole violation based on information provided to emergency responders. "What we don't want is someone dying because people are afraid they'll get busted," he said. While naloxone is not yet available to the public without a prescription at pharmacies, people can consult with their regular health care provider and ask for a prescription, Watt advised. Nationally, the College of Psychiatric & Neorologic Pharmacists has advised health care providers to consider prescribing take-home naloxone kits to anyone exposed to opiates, regardless of the source. "The risk of a potentially fatal opioid overdose is a hazard of the drug and the drug combinations that are used. This applies to those who take opioids for pain and to those who misuse them," the organization said in guidance to pharmacists about naloxone. Heroin addiction and the overuse of opioids is a problem across America, including Southern Oregon, said Jackson County Health Officer Dr. Jim Shames. "We have an opioid epidemic in this country," he said. "We have lots of people dependent and in some cases addicted to pain pills and lots of people are using heroin." Like Oregon, many states are adopting changes to expand the availability of overdose antidotes to the public. Ambulance crews and many police departments, including the police departments in Medford and Ashland, also carry naloxone to treat overdose victims. "Every community has seen a downturn in overdose mortality where naloxone was aggressively promoted," Shames said. "Getting naloxone in the hands of the public directly through pharmacists is a great thing." Ashland resident Julia Pinsky, whose son died of a heroin overdose, urged people to have naloxone on hand to prevent tragedies. She is working to raise awareness about the expanding availability of the overdose antidote. "If you live with someone who is taking opiates of any sort, you should have this," she said. "If you are an opioid user of any sort, you should have it. A family member or friend may be able to save your life." According to the Oregon Health Authority, the symptoms of opiate overdose include: Unresponsiveness to yelling or stimulation, such as hard rubbing of a person's breast bone with the knuckles Slow or shallow breathing, or no breathing A slow or erratic heartbeat, or no heartbeat Turning pale, blue or gray, especially in the lip or fingernail area Snoring, gurgling or choking sounds Body very limp Vomiting — Reach staff reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous.