Montclair Ambulance Unit Now Carries Narcan

Montclair, NJ – It’s the stuff of life.

The Montclair Ambulance Unit recently announced that all of their vehicles now carry Narcan, a medication that blocks the effects of opiates, and which can reverse potentially fatal overdoses from drugs such as heroin, NorthJersey.com reported.

In November, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan nasal spray, the first FDA-approved nasal spray version of naloxone hydrochloride.

Until the FDA approval, naloxone was only approved in injectable forms, most commonly delivered by syringe or auto-injector.

Many first responders and primary caregivers, however, feel a nasal spray formulation of naloxone is easier to deliver, and eliminates the risk of a contaminated needle stick, according to the FDA website.

“Drug overdose deaths, driven largely by prescription drug overdoses, are now the leading cause of injury death in the United States – surpassing motor vehicle crashes,” the FDA states.

“In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the number of drug overdose deaths had steadily increased for more than a decade. When someone overdoses on an opioid, it can be difficult to awaken the person, and breathing may become shallow or stop – leading to death if there is no medical intervention. If naloxone is administered quickly, it can counter the overdose effects, usually within two minutes.”

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