AUHS SOP EDUCATES SIGNAL HILL CITY COUNCIL
The Opioid Epidemic and Naloxone
Written by Ahmed Ali, PharmD Candidate, Class of 2025
Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Nguyen, PharmD (Department of Clinical and Administrative Services)
On September 24th, intern pharmacist Ahmed Ali from AUHS School of Pharmacy was privileged to provide a brief, but comprehensive education on the opioid epidemic and the rescue medication, Narcan® (naloxone nasal spray). The Opioid Epidemic has taken over 500,000 lives across America over the last 25 years. This problem has only been increasing in recent years due to the widely available street drug, fentanyl which has been implicated as the biggest contributor to the recent surge in opioid overdoses in the last 5 years.
Narcan® nasal spray is a fast- and short- acting antidote that is widely available in most pharmacies without a prescription and should be purchased by anyone who is at risk for an opioid overdose or exposure to opioids. Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids like heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications if given in time.
Naloxone can quickly reverse an overdose by blocking the effects of opioids. It can restore normal breathing within 2 to 3 minutes in a person whose breath has slowed, or even stopped, as a result of opioid overdose. Below lists the proper steps in recognizing an overdosed patient and administering Narcan®:
- First, always call 911 and get help if you find someone who you suspect to be suffering from an opioid overdose. Timely medical treatment is critical.
- If a patient is not responding to verbal commands, has blue skin, eyes, or lips, is making rasping or gurgling sounds or is sweating and clammy, they may be suffering from an opioid overdose.
- Check the patient’s breathing. A normal respiratory rate is 12-20 breaths per minute or at least 1 breath every 5 seconds. If the patient is breathing normally, place them on their side to prevent choking.
- If the patient’s breathing is shallow or stopped, administer Narcan® immediately by removing it from its packaging, pulling the red tab off and inserting into the nostril. Push the trigger with your thumb to give one full dose via the nostril. Make sure you have dialed 911 and alerted paramedics to the patient’s condition.
- Give CPR. CPR means 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths in 1 cycle.
- After 2-3 minutes, you can give a second dose of Narcan® if their breathing has not been restored and continue giving CPR.
- It’s important to keep giving CPR until the paramedics arrive. It may take over 20 minutes for the paramedics to arrive. If you give CPR continuously until the paramedics arrive, this increases the chances of survival.
- Stay with the patient until paramedics arrive.
What if the patient recovers? Not so fast! It is important to remember that Narcan® is only a temporary antidote and wears off in 30-90 minutes. The patient still needs to be taken by paramedics to a hospital where they can be evaluated, treated, and stabilized.
After the presentation, Police Chief Wayne Byerley, shared shocking stories about the impact of the opioid epidemic and naloxone on his own officers. He stated that his own officers have been exposed to the danger of fentanyl just by handling the evidence. For this reason, his department requires that his officers carry a bag of naloxone. Chief Byerley revealed that he had seen with his own eyes how officers suffer from an overdose when logging evidence in the station, and Narcan® has been used to save their lives.
Also present at the city council meeting were Signal Hill’s City Mayor Lori Y. Woods, 16 city council members, 11 police officers, and 33 members of the public. The City Council meeting provided an opportunity for AUHS SOP to demonstrate the important work that pharmacists do, including saving lives.
Hopefully this information helps to protect or save the life of someone you care about or even your own someday. If you or someone you know is at risk for an opioid overdose, make sure that you have access or carry Narcan® nasal spray, which can be purchased without a prescription at any major pharmacy. Doing so might just save a life someday!