By Jenna Wilson
St. Joseph News-Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. 鈥� First responders have more options to treat opioid overdoses thanks to a new law.
Currently, first responders are allowed to buy and administer Narcan to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose in patients.
With the new provision made to Senate Bill 186, first responders will be allowed to administer any drug or device approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. This applies to products like Opvee, a nasal spray product that performs similarly to Narcan.
The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 2,155 Missouri residents died of a drug overdose in 2021.
Dennis Johnson, chief of the South Central Buchanan County Fire Department, said additional forms of the overdose reversal drug are vital at a time when cases are rising.
鈥淧eople are ingesting drugs that are laced with other drugs they don鈥檛 even know are in there,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淚f there are other sprays out there that are more effective on some of those chemicals that are not opioid-type products, it鈥檚 an opportunity to save a life.鈥�
While the availability of Narcan is getting the approval of many, the drug can be hard to come by for first responders like firefighters, especially in rural areas.
鈥淲henever first responders can have Narcan and utilize those it鈥檚 a good thing,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 a long way between state legislature endorsing it so the fire department, especially in rural areas, are able to administer it.鈥�
First responders are warning people to be cautious about what they are putting into their bodies as Narcan is not always guaranteed to work on certain drugs.
鈥淢any times we have no identification of what a person has overdosed on, so you take a shot in the dark if you鈥檙e using Narcan and it鈥檚 an opiate,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淏ut it may not be an opioid they overdosed on and in that case, Narcan isn鈥檛 going to work, and a life is gone.鈥�
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