Under a new California bill signed into law this month, in some cases when doctors prescribe opioids, they will be required to also prescribe the life-saving overdose drug Narcan.
A spray of Narcan, a brand of Naloxone, into the nose of someone overdosing on opioids, could save that person’s life.
John Soloman, a singer and guitarist who has struggled with drug addiction, says he is thrilled Governor Brown signed the legislation.
“Fentanyl wasn’t out there when I was using, and if it had been it’s very likely I would have overdosed from fentanyl,” he told NBC 7.
Somoman, who has been playing nationally for about 10 years and who was once a patient at the Hazeldon Betty Ford Addiction Treatment Center, has been sober for eight years. “I had multiple chances before I finally recovered, and when somebody dies they have no chance to recover,” he says.
The new law will make Naloxone more easily available.
Thom Duddy, with Adapt Pharma – the company that makes Narcan – explained that under the new under if someone is prescribed a large amount of opioids, “you need to prescribe Naloxone alongside that prescription because that’s a risky prescription.
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The prescriber will have to offer Naloxone to those with a history of overdose as well.
“There’s about 40 percent of these opioid overdose deaths are happening from legitimate prescription drugs that were prescribed by a prescriptor or provider. So this is big,” Duddy says.
Soloman agrees.
“You never know what somebody’s gonna be able to do if you give them another day,” he says.
According to the law, if a prescriber fails to offer a prescription of Naloxone or Narcon, the prescriber could face sanctions by the appropriate licensing board.
While no one NBC 7 spoke to disputed the life-saving effects of Naloxone or Narcan, some were cautious of making the drug widely available.
