Living with constant pain is a daily struggle for people with bone and joint conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia. For pain management, these patients are sometimes prescribed opioids like codeine, morphine, or fentanyl. While these medications help to improve function, they come with a perilous downside — the risk of addiction and/or accidental overdose.
The opioid crisis continues to worsen, with hospitalization rates from opioid poisoning rising from about nine per day to 16 per day over the past decade. It is therefore critical that those using prescription opioids are prepared in case of an overdose.
Reduce the risk of accidental overdose
NARCAN 4mg (naloxone HCl) is a nasal spray that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. It’s a concentrated, easy-to-use dose that requires no assembly and was developed with the community in mind for use by individuals, family, friends, and caregivers. It’s available free of charge at pharmacies in Ontario and Quebec, and across Canada for those covered under the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program.
If you or someone in your family uses opioids for pain management, consider adding NARCAN to your emergency kit on the off chance you might need it to reverse an accidental overdose. For more information, speak to a pharmacist.
