BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Amid the opioid epidemic that has impacted millions of American families, this week the FDA approved over-the-counter sales of the overdose-reversing naloxone.
The hope is that by increasing access to the medicine, it will decrease the number of overdose deaths.
According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 107,000 Americans died of overdoses, in 2021.
More than 80,000 of those deaths involved opioids.
I was also announced just last week nearly 300 people in Erie County lost their lives to opioid-related overdoses, last year.
7 News' Pheben Kassahun caught up with a local pharmacy to see how this new resource can help save lives in our community.
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"It's a wonderful opportunity provide this life-saving medication," Kenmore Prescription Center supervising pharmacist, Jeff Rutowski said.
The Food and drug administration approving Narcan, a nasal spray for over-the-counter nonprescription use.
It is something pharmacists are calling a game-changer.
Brighton Eggert Pharmacy owner, Don Arthur said, "What really happens to these patients is it becomes a breathing issue. They stop breathing because of the high opioids in their system, then they go into cardiac arrest and what this does by inhaling this, the nasal spray, it will go into those opioid receptors and reverse that effect and hopefully within two to three minutes, the patient will start breathing again."
Brighton Eggert Pharmacy in Tonawanda has been providing Naloxone spray for quite some time.
Owner, Don Arthur said the pharmacy has been treating six patients per day for the last three months.
"When there is a suspected opioid overdose, people should not hesitate to use this product. It's a spray," Arthur said. "It's very easy to use. You can use it on a patient who is unconscious or semi-conscious. If it's not an opioid overdose, this particular medication will not cause any harm."
One way Erie County Health professionals are trying curb the high number overdoses is by meeting people where they are at.
Erie County Medical Care administration, Cheryll Moore said, "One of things we learned were different areas of the community where services that were necessary weren't easily accessible. So, from that we've been doing pop-up events, utilizing the Live Well Erie van."
The Erie County Opiate Epidemic Task Force was established, in 2016.
Since then, along with Narcan officials have been offering screenings, COVID vaccines and harm reduction supplies.
The pop-up events take place three times a week.
On Tuesdays, curbside care takes place in Downtown Buffalo at 158 Pearl Street, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
On Thursdays, the task force occupies the St. John Kanty Church parking lot, with available resources from noon to 3 p.m.
On Fridays are a little flexible, making visits to different communities on a need-basis.
Moore added, "We do have some repeats that come in but we also do have many people that we never in any other time would interact with so we've been able to spread the message much broader than we would have been able to."
People can anticipate pharmacies to house the life-saving medicine in their stores in late summer.
Moore said, "If it is a barrier for you to go to the drug store and pay for it, you can always get it from us here at the county."
