Free naloxone kits to be offered this week in Franklin, Fulton counties

FRANKLIN COUNTY - Franklin and Fulton County residents will have a chance to get the life-saving drug, naloxone, for free during a statewide effort this week.  

The Wolf administration will offer the overdose-reversing drug to all residents at nearly 80 locations in Pennsylvania, including health centers and local health departments from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, according to a news release. 

Naloxone will be available locally at the Franklin County State Health Center, 375 Floral Ave., Ste. 1, Chambersburg, and the Fulton County State Health Center, 182 Buchanan Trail, Ste. C, McConnellsburg. No appointments are necessary. 

"(This medication) is essential for all of us to have on hand, particularly if you have a loved one suffering from opioid-use disorder,” said Gov. Tom Wolf in the release. “We want to ensure that through this opportunity for free naloxone, we can save more lives and get more Pennsylvanians into treatment. Keeping naloxone in your home, work or even in your car can make the difference between someone getting into treatment or dying from this disease.”

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Naloxone is a drug designed to "rapidly reverse" an overdose for a person who has taken prescription opioid medications or done heroin, according to Dr. Thomas Anderson, chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs for Summit Health. He said it can help restore breathing that has been dangerously slowed.

In addition to Thursday's giveaway, the medication can also be acquired at any pharmacy, and is available to any resident with public or private health insurance for free or at a low cost. 

“It is impossible to get someone in to treatment who is dead," said the state's Secretary of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine. "Every Pennsylvanian has a role to play as a potential first responder and can save a life by having naloxone on hand, and using it if they come across someone who has overdosed.”

Over the past four years, more than 20,000 people have been revived using naloxone by police officers and emergency medical services personnel across the state, the release states. 

Chambersburg Police Chief Ron Camacho said the distribution of the antidote to first responders has saved many lives in the borough. 

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Public Opinion previously reported a year ago that a program by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency would provide 13,752 naloxone kits to 59 counties, which are among 60,000 kits that would be available over the next two years in all 67 counties and state agencies.

As of December 2017, Franklin County had received 528 doses allotted to it for the first six months of the program, with another 336 planned to be distributed throughout Fulton County. 

"Any opioid overdose, that is reversed through the use of naloxone, is a life saved," Camacho added. "A saved life may lead an addict to a path of sustained recovery and eventual reintegration into our society." 

What to know about using naloxone

There are several ways to administer the drug for those who find themselves needing to do so. 

The first type available to non-professionals is called Evzio, which is a pre-filled auto-injection device that can be quickly injected into a person’s thigh. The other is a nasal spray, sometimes referred to as Narcan. Anderson said if one dose does not appear to be working, a second may be used.

Naloxone is safe to use, because Anderson said it only affects those with opioids in their systems. However, it may cause immediate withdrawal symptoms, such as a headache, changes in blood pressure, rapid heart rate, sweating, nausea, vomiting and tremors. He mentioned these can be serious, and may require immediate medical attention. 

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Both options usually contain two doses in a pack, and need to be properly stored. Anderson noted the medication could start to lose its effectiveness if exposed to too much heat, cold or sunlight. It also comes with a shelf life - 18-24 months for the nasal spray - which can affect how well it works if used after this period. Using an expired dose will not hurt the patient, Anderson added. 

For more information on naloxone, visit the state’s website at pa.gov/opioids. 

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