Naloxone OTC in Ca?

[sakigt]

http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.co...rove-naloxone-dispensing-without-rxs?page=0,1

Not signed yet and only under certain guidelines (what a legal nightmare). Interesting these are closer to OTC status than epipens are.....

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[zelman]

Regarding the auto-injector devices, I believe they cost more than epipens, too. Once they are OTC, nobody will pay for them anyway.

 

[BidingMyTime]

I don't see the need for guidelines (other than maybe putting an age requirement on it, like the person has to be 18.) At least in states like IL, where pharmacists are encouraged to sell syringes OTC to drug users to prevent the spread of disease, why not let any drug user buy naloxone at the same time they are buying their syringes? Although honestly, given the fact that a lot of drug users apparently have a hard time scraping up enough money for their syringes, I can't imagine too many of them would be buying naloxone.

 

[Ackj]

I don't see the need for guidelines (other than maybe putting an age requirement on it, like the person has to be 18.) At least in states like IL, where pharmacists are encouraged to sell syringes OTC to drug users to prevent the spread of disease, why not let any drug user buy naloxone at the same time they are buying their syringes? Although honestly, given the fact that a lot of drug users apparently have a hard time scraping up enough money for their syringes, I can't imagine too many of them would be buying naloxone.

Don't you mean glucagon? Everyone who has ever asked me for syringes wanted them for their insulin.

All jokes aside, I do see that as a barrier to naloxone. If you won't admit to what you're using the needles for, I think many would shy away from asking for naloxone. Nobody wants to admit they're shooting up, or they probably think we'll call the cops on them if they say it.

 

[PolarPop]

We already have this in NM, any pharmacist that takes the class can write a script for naloxone IM.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Don't you mean glucagon? Everyone who has ever asked me for syringes wanted them for their insulin.
All jokes aside, I do see that as a barrier to naloxone. If you won't admit to what you're using the needles for, I think many would shy away from asking for naloxone. Nobody wants to admit they're shooting up, or they probably think we'll call the cops on them if they say it.

That is a good point. Even in IL, where the law explicitly states they are allowed to be sold for illegal drug usage, only once have I ever had anyone outright tell me they need them to shoot up drugs (of course, most people don't tell me anything, and I don't ask.) But when people do feel the need to tell me, its always a story about needing to buy syringes for their grandma with diabetes.

 

[zelman]

I don't see the need for guidelines (other than maybe putting an age requirement on it, like the person has to be 18.) At least in states like IL, where pharmacists are encouraged to sell syringes OTC to drug users to prevent the spread of disease, why not let any drug user buy naloxone at the same time they are buying their syringes? Although honestly, given the fact that a lot of drug users apparently have a hard time scraping up enough money for their syringes, I can't imagine too many of them would be buying naloxone.

Because you lose the net societal benefit argument. When most heroin users get HIV it increases Medicaid spending. When they just stop breathing, it decreases Medicaid spending.

 

[sakigt]

I don't see the need for guidelines (other than maybe putting an age requirement on it, like the person has to be 18.)

I dont either. It would be distressing to have a patient demand an autoinjector and the Pharmacist would have to go through the guideline checklist prior to dispensing.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Because you lose the net societal benefit argument. When most heroin users get HIV it increases Medicaid spending. When they just stop breathing, it decreases Medicaid spending.

Maybe, but one could look at the ones who do (but barely) survive overdoses and are brain-damaged and end up in a nursing home, that is definitely a social cost.

 

[xiphoid2010]

Maybe, but one could look at the ones who do (but barely) survive overdoses and are brain-damaged and end up in a nursing homee, that is definitely a social cost.

Compared to cost of drug related crimes, law enforcement, legal cost, incarnation, etc.

 

[zelman]

Maybe, but one could look at the ones who do (but barely) survive overdoses and are brain-damaged and end up in a nursing home, that is definitely a social cost.

True, but I'm not making the argument I cited. I'm just explaining the layman's perspective.