the training for dispensing naloxone will be conducted over the telephone

PBMC offers overdose reversal drug without prescription

Naloxone Program Is Part of Hospital’s Effort to Confront Ongoing Opioid Crisis
Wed, 05/20/2020 - 10:45am

With overdose deaths up 7 percent in Maine last year, efforts by The Pharmacy at Pen Bay Medical Center (PBMC) to make the life-saving drug naloxone available without a prescription to anyone who wants it have never been more important, according PBMC, in a news release.

Naloxone, a simple nasal spray that does not provide a high, immediately reverses the effects of opioids and is used to help to those who are experiencing an opioid overdose.

The goal of doing away with the need for a prescription is to make it easier for as many people as possible to carry the life-saving drug, whether or not they or someone they know takes opioids, according to Kendra Emery, DO, a family practice physician who oversees PBMC’s response to the opioid crisis.

“In this crisis, none of us knows when we may have to respond to someone suffering an overdose, whether it be a loved one or a complete stranger,” she said. “The more people who carry naloxone, the more lives we will save.”

Dr. Emery stressed that “opioid overdoses can happen to anyone who is taking an opioid medication, particularly when taking it at higher doses. Overdoses can also occur in patients with opioid use disorder. There are other factors that contribute to an individual’s risk.

“I advise that if you have a prescription for opioids, talk to you doctor about your risk factors,” she said. “I also encourage people to have naloxone on hand if they have concerns about a friend or family member.”

Although still being tallied, data collected by the state points to a 7 percent increase in overdose deaths in 2019. Of the 380 overdose deaths in 2019, nearly 89 percent were accidental.

Purchasing naloxone at The Pharmacy at PBMC is a simple process, even with COVID-19 restrictions in place. The first step is to call The Pharmacy before you come into the hospital. It can be reached at 301-8585.

“Then, when you come into the hospital’s main entrance, let the person at the screening station know that you want to speak to a pharmacist,” said Tom Edge, PharmD, manager of retail pharmacy at PBMC. “They’ll let us know you are there, and we’ll come out with your prescription.”

Dispensing naloxone requires the recipient be trained to identify an overdose and administer the nasal spray version of the drug. Normally this is done in person. However, to accommodate social distancing guidelines around COVID-19, Edge and his colleagues now conduct the training over the telephone after dispensing naloxone.

“The COVID-19 crisis has required us to be a little bit creative,” Edge said. “This training is so important. When you’re in an emergency and the adrenaline is flowing, you want to know how to use it.”

During the training, you’ll learn that naloxone is a safe drug.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services website www.eyesopenforme.org, “It will not work on or harm someone who has overdosed on other drugs or alcohol. If you suspect an [opioid] overdose, administer Naloxone.”

The training also covers the state’s good Samaritan law, which protects anyone responding in good faith to a medical emergency against liability, according to Dr. Emery.

There is no need for a photo ID but, because many health insurances will cover the cost of naloxone whether or not you are a patient, you’ll want to bring your insurance card.  If you don’t have insurance, The Pharmacy has arranged for options as low as $40.

“If that price is still a struggle, come in and we’ll figure it out,” Edge said. “The most important thing is to get naloxone into people’s hands.”

About Pen Bay Medical Center
Pen Bay Medical Center is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit pbmc.org.