Where to get narcan? (preferably free)

[MrSmitty]

My son is a Type 1 diabetic...he has no choice, yet we have to pay thousands of dollars a year for insulin.... Heroin, and opiates are a choice...yet Narcan is given away, or readily available...My step son has been on opiates...it was his choice...Maybe I sound heartless, but I've seen what it does to his mother....My insulin dependent son wants is studying be a doctor, my step son lives in our basement.......

 

[cbhausen]

My son is a Type 1 diabetic...he has no choice, yet we have to pay thousands of dollars a year for insulin.... Heroin, and opiates are a choice...yet Narcan is given away, or readily available...My step son has been on opiates...it was his choice...Maybe I sound heartless, but I've seen what it does to his mother....My insulin dependent son wants is studying be a doctor, my step son lives in our basement.......

I get it’sa personal choice to administer NARCAN or not. If I have it on me and can save a life, I will, plain and simple.

We’re not just talking addicts here… what about accidental overdoses from tainted recreational substances, spiked drinks, etc.?

 

[Ark]

Even if I have a grumpy attitude toward enabling drug use, there is so much of this fentanyl crap floating around out there that you or someone you know may come into contact with it without knowing. Yeah, maybe your 14-year-old was stupid and rolled the dice on adderall from somebody's school locker, but a reasonable person would not have assumed taking those pills would OD them on fentanyl.

Narcan is not the worst thing to have in a med kit. I just wish the effort applied to making sure drug users can get it easy and free was also applied to, I dunno, epipens?

 

[cbhausen]

Eskenazi Health Center on W 38th St ( 5515 W. 38th Street ) has a Narcan vending machine that is free. Its open 6 days a week. Go through the main doors and take a left, head toward the end of the hallway and you will see the machine. Take as many as you want/need. There is even a sticker on the machine that tells you to take several because sometimes more than one dose is needed. I stopped in there one day when I was in Indy and loaded up. I couldn't find any in my county, and I tried several places in Indianapolis that I found online but none of them had any. The vending machine at Eskenazi had at least a hundred packages in it. It was a bonus I didn't have to talk to anyone to get some.

I got some for both of my medical bags. I mostly carry it in case of accidental exposure to fentanyl, but honestly if I ever came across some stupid kid that needed it, I would use it. Its unlikely I will ever need but its free and I can't see any downsides of carrying it.

I was just there, and yes, there is a vending machine full of Narcan. It’s in the main hallway at the far east end of the building. I didn’t try the side door but you could always go in there and be right at the machine if you don’t want to walk past the reception area.

And now that I’ve handled one, the packaging could be much more compact. The blister packs are designed to fill a rectangular box and they add bulk when carrying unboxed. But it needs to stay sealed in the blister pack, if for no other reason than to prevent accidental discharge.

IMO the packaging should conform closely to the shape of the product without extra wasted space. It would be so much easier to carry.

 

[MrSmitty]

I get it’sa personal choice to administer NARCAN or not. If I have it on me and can save a life, I will, plain and simple.

We’re not just talking addicts here… what about accidental overdoses from tainted recreational substances, spiked drinks, etc.?

I was referring to the choice to take opiates, not the Narcan, obviously saving a life is important......

 

[OkieGirl]

There are a lot of vending machines for this going in around Indy and yes, the public is encouraged to feel free to take the amount they want to have available to them. It's not a guaranteed fix for an overdose but it's saved many lives and/or extended their lives long enough to get first responders to them.

*Please note that Narcan is a TEMPORARY solution to an overdose, it's effects can wear off before the body has metabolized the chemical that sent them into their medical emergency. You need to get that person to medical care quickly.

https://www.in.gov/health/overdose-prevention/naloxone/

 

[cbhausen]

I was referring to the choice to take opiates, not the Narcan, obviously saving a life is important......

Roger that, thanks for clarifying.

 

[NHT3]

To each their own.

Googling around, its already available behind the counter without a script. But given that I want 6*, Im really not into shelling out the reported $300 cash price for that quantity.

*2 each for each kit. The angel that gave us hers said sometimes it actually takes 2 to be effective depending on what they took.

Cheaper to get a cut rate ticket to NY or CA and pick up the free stuff, if you can make it out alive.

 

[Gunmetalgray]

*Please note that Narcan is a TEMPORARY solution to an overdose, it's effects can wear off before the body has metabolized the chemical that sent them into their medical emergency. You need to get that person to medical care quickly.

https://www.in.gov/health/overdose-prevention/naloxone/

And medical folks say sometimes the individual will wake up & come out of it very angry and combative. Be safe all.

 

[Scuba591]

Some of the IFD stations have the vending machines. I know the one at Washington/Warman does.

We have some at Sta.20 basically 16th and Emerson. Stop by and ask.... No worries

 

[manifest destiny]

*Please note that Narcan is a TEMPORARY solution to an overdose, it's effects can wear off before the body has metabolized the chemical that sent them into their medical emergency. You need to get that person to medical care quickly.

This is so underpublicized. Good for you to share.

To those that might know... does the nasal route work if breathing is labored or respiratory has ceased?

Should addicts be gifted all the accoutrements to process drugs (comes with the needles), ingest drugs (again, included with "exchange") and then be saved from their choices (narcan vending machines) by taxpayers? My opinion is glib.

 

[Denny347]

To each their own.

Indeed, having watched my share of humans die and not able to help, I will if I can, without judgement. It takes a special kind of person to watch such a thing and judge them unfit to save. Good for you to care enough to be prepared.

 

[Denny347]

I declined having it around. Personal reasons.

Go on

 

[VostocK]

I was just there, and yes, there is a vending machine full of Narcan. It’s in the main hallway at the far east end of the building. I didn’t try the side door but you could always go in there and be right at the machine if you don’t want to walk past the reception area.

And now that I’ve handled one, the packaging could be much more compact. The blister packs are designed to fill a rectangular box and they add bulk when carrying unboxed. But it needs to stay sealed in the blister pack, if for no other reason than to prevent accidental discharge.

IMO the packaging should conform closely to the shape of the product without extra wasted space. It would be so much easier to carry.

Cool ! I am glad you found it. I hope you never have to use it !

Even though it was in a vending machine, I have to admit I was honestly a little embarrassed to be seen getting Narcan out of a machine in public. The whole time I was thinking "All these people walking past probably think I am a drug addict, please God don't let me see anyone I know, that would be so embarrassing, I better hurry up." I tried hurrying but I wanted 6 doses so it took a minute. I started stuffing them in my cargo shorts pockets but I was running out of room. So there I was looking back and forth and over my shoulder, hurriedly stuffing these packages into my pockets, I know I had to look like a desperate junkie lol.

Oh well its worth the embarrassment if I ever have to use it on someone.

 

[KokomoDave]

I didn't read the GoodRX article but did you know there is actually 3ccs in an Epipen? There is a hack on how to get all that you pay for. Google.
I never was allergic to bee or wasp envenomation until I was stung multiple times in one session by a jellyfish. It changed how I react now. It can cause death if left untreated. Needless to say, I carry an epipen whilst on my motorbike.

 

[cbhausen]

Cool ! I am glad you found it. I hope you never have to use it !

Even though it was in a vending machine, I have to admit I was honestly a little embarrassed to be seen getting Narcan out of a machine in public. The whole time I was thinking "All these people walking past probably think I am a drug addict, please God don't let me see anyone I know, that would be so embarrassing, I better hurry up." I tried hurrying but I wanted 6 doses so it took a minute. I started stuffing them in my cargo shorts pockets but I was running out of room. So there I was looking back and forth and over my shoulder, hurriedly stuffing these packages into my pockets, I know I had to look like a desperate junkie lol.

Oh well its worth the embarrassment if I ever have to use it on someone.

I kind of had that feeling too, but there wasn’t anyone around. If anyone saw me, I would’ve just said I’m spreading it around between my brother and my wife in case any of us needs to need to be a Good Samaritan (I actually took 8 doses, two each for me, my brother @tbhausen and my wife to carry and two for my roving IFAK which does home/vehicle duty). When I stage more IFAKs I’ll get more Narcan for them.

 

[92FSTech]

My son is a Type 1 diabetic...he has no choice, yet we have to pay thousands of dollars a year for insulin.... Heroin, and opiates are a choice...yet Narcan is given away, or readily available...My step son has been on opiates...it was his choice...Maybe I sound heartless, but I've seen what it does to his mother....My insulin dependent son wants is studying be a doctor, my step son lives in our basement.......

I'm Type 1 as well, and the money I spend on just pen needles alone is insane. But they'll hand them out at clinics to junkies for free. Only in the liberal mess that this country has become does that make sense.

I've narcanned quite a few people over the years, and the stuff does work. If you're gonna get involved in those types of situations, a few things to consider:

1. Sometimes they come up fighting. If they don't actually fight, they're almost always pissed off about being woken up. Be prepared for a fight, and definitely don't expect a thank you.

2. Carry a few extra doses for yourself, just in case. Chances are whatever did that to them is likely still around somewhere, and it's just as dangerous to you (maybe moreso since you have no tolerance built up).

3. Carry gloves, and take the time to put them on. Slow down, look around, and assess the situation to make sure it's safe, and call 911 and get help coming before you wade into it. There are a lot of hazards including bloodborne pathogens in these environments, and contracting some lifelong illness while you're trying to help somebody else would really suck. I've been exposed twice, and thankfully never contracted anything, but the testing process was nerve-wracking and a pain in the butt.

4. Be prepared to go hands-on and follow-up the administration of narcan with CPR. Sometimes what you've got will wake them up, other times it's not enough. You may end up doing compressions until EMS gets there.

I totally get where you're coming from in wanting to help. Working in a small town, I deal with the same people over and over, and I've narcanned a bunch who are an ongoing pain in my butt. It's not like saving a drowning victim or a choking baby...more often than not I'm just keeping them alive until their next OD, and I'm giving them the chance to continue victimizing everybody around them until they do. I get called to those situations, too, so I'm well aware of what they do and it's not just theoretical for me...it's very real.

I still do everything in my power to save them because I morally value human life, and it's my job...but there's not a lot of emotional satisfaction in these kinds of "saves".

 

[CHCRandy]

Looking to figure out where to get some Narcan. Want to add it to my two first aid kits, as well as at my church.

Got to see it work first hand today. Lady OD'd in her car as it was pulled over to the side of the road. While we were summoning help a lady in the passenger seat of a passing car leaned out and handed one of the people working on the lady two inhalers. (Mars Hill. So it wasnt a stretch to guess why she was passed out.) She got out and helped administer it. Not judging, but by the looks of it, she's around users frequently. May have been one at one time. She was an angel, no doubt about it.

I got off the phone with 911 and went to the passenger side and opened the door. She still had labored breathing and a weak pulse.

About a minute after they gave her the hit, while I was checking her pulse, I could feel it getting stronger, and her breathing improved. about 2 minutes later she opened her eyes. About that time I saw the fire engine approach and left her in the care of the other lady and flagged them down. By the time they walked up she was talking. Lead firefighter was a bit of a prick to her, but probably rightly so since he knew a passerby just pulled her butt back from the brink. (and probably not the first time)

That was enough for me to see. I dont want to rely on somebody happening to drive by. So how do you get it?

You can get it for free at Hendricks County Health Dept. They may want you to take a short informational class on how to administer it and such.

 

[Gabriel]

Indeed, having watched my share of humans die and not able to help, I will if I can, without judgement. It takes a special kind of person to watch such a thing and judge them unfit to save. Good for you to care enough to be prepared.

This. I may not agree with a person's choices in life, but I'm not going to let them die if I can help it.

 

[nucular]

I got a couple free online and shipped to my house. I'll look up the site later tonight.