NARCAN® (naloxone)
NARCAN® Nasal Spray (naloxone) is designed to rapidly reverse the effects of a life-threatening opioid emergency.
Photos and information courtesy of Emergent
WHEN TO USE
- Use to “revive” someone during an overdose from many prescription pain medications or street drugs such as heroin
- Safe to use even if opioids are not present
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
- Will not wake up or respond to a loud voice or rubbing firmly on the middle of their chest
- Breathing is very slow, uneven, or has stopped
- Center part of eye is very small, sometimes called “pinpoint pupils”
- Fingernails and lips turning blue or purple
HOW TO GET
Having NARCAN in your first-aid kit or carrying it with you on the go can save lives.
Individual
NARCAN is now available over-the-counter
BUSINESSES
Contact Emily’s Hope to inquire
HOW TO USE
WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF A SUSPECTED OPIOID EMERGENCY
Resources
IMPORTANT
- For use in the nose only
- Do not test nasal spray device before use
- 1 nasal spray device contains 1 dose of medicine
- Each device sprays 1 time only
STEP
1
CHECK IF YOU SUSPECT AN OVERDOSE
- CHECK for a suspected overdose: the person will not wake up or is very sleepy or not breathing well.
- Yell “Wake up!”
- Shake the person gently.
- If the person is not awake, go to Step 2.
STEP
2
GIVE 1ST DOSE IN THE NOSE
- HOLD the nasal spray device with your thumb on the bottom of the plunger.
- INSERT the nozzle into either NOSTRIL.
- PRESS the plunger firmly to give the 1st dose.
- 1 nasal spray device contains 1 dose.
STEP
3
CALL
- CALL 911 immediately after giving the 1st dose.
STEP
4
WATCH & GIVE
- WAIT 2-3 minutes after the 1st dose to give the medicine time to work.
- If the person wakes up: go to Step 5.
- If the person does not wake up:
- CONTINUE TO GIVE doses every 2-3 minutes until the person wakes up.
- It is safe to keep giving doses.
STEP
5
STAY
- STAY until ambulance arrives: even if the person wakes up.
- GIVE another dose if the person becomes very sleepy again.
- You may need to give all the doses in the pack.
Looking for More?
Latest NARCAN Headlines
First over-the-counter Narcan shipped to stores
Opioid overdose reversal drug, Narcan, should be available over-the-counter next week. Narcan’s manufacturer, Emergent BioSolutions, announced Wednesday that it has shipped its product to leading mass, drug/pharmacy, and grocery stores, as well as online…
FDA approves first over-the-counter drug to reverse opioid overdoses
WASHINGTON — With the number of opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. increasing more than 17% in just one year, the Food and Drug Administration has approved an over-the-counter drug for opioid overdose reversal.…