People at risk of an opioid overdose, a friend or family member of a person at risk, or someone who works in a facility where people are at high risk are eligible, Jaeger said.
Howerter
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He noted that CCH received a certain number of kits from the state; more can be requested if required. One person is limited to one kit per distribution but can come back for another kit if needed.
Narcan is available by prescription, but there’s a standing order from a doctor about the government project, Jaeger added.
Traditionally, Narcan was injectable, and some states were able to dispose of the substance as early as 1996, Howerter said. It wasn’t the easiest way to go, however, and many people felt uncomfortable injecting someone who was overdosed, he added.
“In 2015 they launched the nasal inhaler, which is much more convenient,” Howerter said. “Actually, it works almost as quickly as a syringe, and probably even faster because it’s so easy to use, you don’t have to take any medication or anything like that. So you can use it on unresponsive people. “
Law enforcement officers from both the Columbus Police Department and the Platte County Sheriff’s Office have been wearing narcan kits for a number of years.
Wemhoff
“Our officers are all armed with narcan. We’ve been doing this for three years … maybe we used it once, “said Columbus Police Cpt. said Douglas Molczyk.
