Heroin Epidemic in the Heartland: Narcan Available

I've posted in the past before my loathe for this drug. The main reason why I chose the path of being in Pharmacy was to understand every component I could on the process of how drugs are made, their purpose and to use that knowledge to help educate others on their benefits and primarily their danger. Doctors have medications to push. They don't have time to go over the therapeutic benefits and the side effects. Hell even pharmacists in retail especially don't even have the time because they have sooooooo many orders to fill, they don't even do individual consults unless YOU the patient asks. The knowledge is there, you just need to ask for it and not everyone does it. 

So a few weeks ago, the show 60 Minutes did a coverage of the devastating outbreak of the poison of Heroin. If you missed it, follow this link for the video: Heroin in the Heartland...... It hit home....literally. Right here in Ohio and in the suburbs and places I have been and even lived. I moved to another city this year but was in Pickerington, Ohio where they had a team of parents from that area that I know....and knew their lost ones. We do live in a world unfortunately that we all know someone that has used it, still using it, over-dosed on it, went to jail for it, and has died from it. 

The prime candidate's that are exposed to Heroin are ones that are prescribed pain medication. The feeling of opiates in your system not only helps your pain (The reason you are on the medication in the first place), but also about after 3 doses....yes THREE doses, your brain expects that feeling. That chemical reaction occurring in the brain that begins what develops dependency....aka addiction. There is a safe practice to slowly reverse that process but the physicians don't educate, the pharmacists that is filling your order doesn't either.

Now that Heroin is now an epidemic there is another medication that is now available OTC (over-the-counter). No script needed. Narcan (Naloxone) is the medication. It has the ability to reverse the effect of opioids in your system....INSTANTLY. This is now the go to for Emergency rooms, EMS, and police officers to have on hand. Now its available to the public to have. This is a good and bad thing all at the same time. Now that is readily available....those that are living with the addiction to opiates will just use that when they want that instant high that is too much but they have that as back up. Its not helping the problem. It is just a very, very, very small safety net that is guaranteed to work. If you are at a toxic state and tripling the normal dose won't even help.
So another situation. A huge epidemic. Another pathway for families to live through hell. Medicine is supposed to heal and help and cure......not create addicts and ghosts................


What are your thoughts?