Wolf administration implores Pennsylvanians to have anti-overdose drug on hand
By Anthony Hennen | The Center Square
HERSHEY, PA – As Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf counts his last days in office, his administration continues to encourage the public and public workers to access an anti-overdose drug to save a life.
In Hershey this week, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and the Department of Health encouraged pharmacies to keep naloxone, a drug that can reverse overdoses, on hand for the public.
The commonwealth has had a standing order since 2020 that allows the public and first responders to purchase naloxone, as The Center Square previously reported. No prescription is necessary. Ensuring that more Pennsylvanians carry it could mean that they can save a life. Almost 36,000 doses have been distributed, and the average out-of-pocket cost is $36.
“A key component to decreasing overdose deaths is getting naloxone into all communities across the state,”
DDAP Special Assistant Steve Ross said in a release. “Every Pennsylvanian can access naloxone through their local pharmacy using the naloxone standing order.”
The drug comes in four forms and can be a nasal spray or an injection. Narcan is the brand name most commonly associated with naloxone.
“Naloxone is now available in all four forms, including the most cost-effective non-prefilled syringe and vial version,” said acting Secretary of Health and Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson. “I want to make it easy for pharmacies to keep naloxone on hand and to provide residents with the option they feel most comfortable using to save a life.”
Officials noted that the commonwealth’s Naloxone for First Responders Program, which gave away free naloxone, has led to almost 23,000 overdose reversals since 2017.
“Having naloxone on hand is like having a fire extinguisher in your kitchen,” Victoria Elliott, CEO of the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, said at the DDAP press conference. “The intent is to never actually have to use it, but should an accident occur, you’re quite thankful that you have it.”
About 15 Pennsylvanians die every day from substance use disorder. In 2021, more than 4,500 people died from an overdose. The commonwealth has received more than $2 billion from settlements reached with pharmacy companies and opioid manufacturers to address opioid addiction and social problems that come from it, as The Center Square previously reported.
