Gov. Kasich Makes Heroin Overdose Drug Available Without Prescription (1 Viewer)

[Maven]

hope other states follow suit. not condoning heroin use but why should someone die because they either got some bad stuff or stupidly overdosed.


WASHINGTON -- Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) on Thursday took a dramatic step toward addressing the devastating toll the opioid epidemic has had on his state. He signed emergency legislation that will essentially make Naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, available without a prescription.

The policy change means that pharmacies can now offer Naloxone over the counter to individuals cleared by a doctor or health official.

In May, neighboring Kentucky enacted a similar measure in which first responders or a family member of an addict could receive the drug without a prescription. Both states have been plagued by the opioid epidemic, with hundreds of residents dying from overdoses. Treatment facilities in Kentucky have had a difficult time meeting demand or even offering adequate, evidence-based care, as reported in a Huffington Post investigation published in January. The CDC recently reported that heroin overdose deaths have nearly quadrupled between 2002 and 2013.

For officials in Kentucky and Ohio, there has been a gradual embrace of Naloxone as a life-saving measure. Two years ago, Kasich, a GOP presidential contender, signed a bill authorizing a pilot program for one county's first responders to carry Naloxone. A year later, he signed legislation that would let an addict's loved ones administer the drug without fear of being charged with a crime.

The move to make Naloxone available without a prescription was brought up in an April oversight hearing in Congress. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) said the Food and Drug Administration needed to make the life-saving drug as available as any other over-the-counter remedy.

“Right now, it’s hard to get,” Burgess told The Huffington Post. “If it were available at a 24-hour pharmacy, not saying it could save every life at risk, it could save some. The downside of having it available is what?”

MORE: Naxolone, Heroin, Opioid Epidemic, John Kasich

 

[Vita Von Dahmer]

It's about time, I used Suboxone to bring someone back(it has Naloxone) , I had to crush it between 2 spoons & put it under his tongue in between the breaths I gave, the strips would've probably worked even better. The only problem I see is the people who would most likely be around for this aren't going to be their 'love ones' it will be other junkies like I was who aren't going to get cleared to buy this & probably just sold most of their Subs. They should pass it out free like condoms, it's better alternative to putting ice down their pants.

 

[D.N.R.]

It's about time, I used Suboxone to bring someone back(it has Naloxone) , I had to crush it between 2 spoons & put it under his tongue in between the breaths I gave, the strips would've probably worked even better. The only problem I see is the people who would most likely be around for this aren't going to be their 'love ones' it will be other junkies like I was who aren't going to get cleared to buy this & probably just sold most of their Subs. They should pass it out free like condoms, it's better alternative to putting ice down their pants. View attachment 219608

The active ingredient in Suboxone, buprenorphine, is probably what helped because it has a stronger affinity for the opiate receptors in the brain than heroin or other opoids so they get displaced. The naloxone in Suboxone does not get absorbed into the bloodstream when it is taken sublingually.
I agree that naloxone should be otc but I have seen too many people misusing Suboxone to be okay with it being otc.

 

[Vita Von Dahmer]

The active ingredient in Suboxone, buprenorphine, is probably what helped because it has a stronger affinity for the opiate receptors in the brain than heroin or other opoids so they get displaced. The naloxone in Suboxone does not get absorbed into the bloodstream when it is taken sublingually.
I agree that naloxone should be otc but I have seen too many people misusing Suboxone to be okay with it being otc.

I've heard of people saying they abused suboxone but I don't see how,my friend said she nodded after she took it.I know you can abuse Subutex because you can shoot it and its cheap, l did and nothing.But when l was into that misery we all heard about getting high with suboxone but it just never worked and we tried really hard.I had always heard that if you shot it you'd be instantly sick,idk.

 

[D.N.R.]

I've heard of people saying they abused suboxone but I don't see how,my friend said she nodded after she took it.I know you can abuse Subutex because you can shoot it and its cheap, l did and nothing.But when l was into that misery we all heard about getting high with suboxone but it just never worked and we tried really hard.I had always heard that if you shot it you'd be instantly sick,idk.

A lot of addicts IV suboxone here. If they already have the sub saturating their receptors the nalaxone that is in it will not be enough to knock it off the receptors to give them precipitated withdrawals. I do think suboxone treatment should be cheaper and easier for addicts to receive. Being completely sober is ideal but unrealistic for many addicts so I am all for harm reduction.

 

[Vita Von Dahmer]

A lot of addicts IV suboxone here. If they already have the sub saturating their receptors the nalaxone that is in it will not be enough to knock it off the receptors to give them precipitated withdrawals. I do think suboxone treatment should be cheaper and easier for addicts to receive. Being completely sober is ideal but unrealistic for many addicts so I am all for harm reduction.

So you're saying if it’s built up in their system the nalaxone in the sub isn't enough to make them sick and they actually do get high ? Wow.We were so petrified of any drugs that started with an N.

 

[D.N.R.]

So you're saying if it’s built up in their system the nalaxone in the sub isn't enough to make them sick and they actually do get high ? Wow.We were so petrified of any drugs that started with an N.

Yes. The only reason it has naloxone is so it can be a schedule 3 drug. So many people think that the naloxone is what blocks other opiates from getting them high when they are taking suboxone but it's actually the bupe itself that's the blocker.

 

[zinfandel]

Well, this is good. Hopefully Wisconsin will follow suit. People are dropping like flies here from heroin OD to the point that it's made the news. They simply have nothing else to do around here, I guess.

 

[aRyan]

A lot of addicts IV suboxone here. If they already have the sub saturating their receptors the nalaxone that is in it will not be enough to knock it off the receptors to give them precipitated withdrawals. I do think suboxone treatment should be cheaper and easier for addicts to receive. Being completely sober is ideal but unrealistic for many addicts so I am all for harm reduction.

I've heard of people saying they abused suboxone but I don't see how,my friend said she nodded after she took it.I know you can abuse Subutex because you can shoot it and its cheap, l did and nothing.But when l was into that misery we all heard about getting high with suboxone but it just never worked and we tried really hard.I had always heard that if you shot it you'd be instantly sick,idk.

I def. think that naloxone (it's called Narcan here, and health care workers pass it out at fucking gas stations the epidemic is so bad here, also all firemen, EMTs and police have to carry it now) should be OTC. It has nothing in it that someone can get high from, and it saves tons of lives here. Good peoples lives too that just got caught up in a very serious problem. These aren't homeless addicts that are a burden on society, but children and parents that have homes and jobs and have just found themselves in a very unnatural situation. It happens way quicker and easier than people think, that's coming from experience.