Senator Carlucci Pushes for Access to Opioid Antidote Over-the-Counter - Sends Letter to Health Commissioner Zucker Requesting Standing Order

Senator David Carlucci (D – Rockland/Westchester) has sent a letter to New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, requesting he issue a Standing Order for the drug Naloxone.

Naloxone (also known as Narcan) is an “opioid antagonist” medication, used to counter the effects of opioid overdose. This life saving medication is used in opioid overdoses to counteract life-threatening depression of the central nervous system and respiratory system.

New York State has suffered drastically from the sweeping opioid epidemic. In 2014, there were more than 118,000 admissions into New York State-certified treatment programs for heroin and prescription opioid abuse – a 17.8 percent increase over 2009. In response to the escalating number of overdoses, Senator Carlucci has partnered with organizations like the Harm Reeducation Coalition have partnered with the New York State Department of Health to provide Naloxone kits and training.

Although there are opportunities for the public to get trained and prescribed kits, numerous parents throughout the state who have already used kits are unable to re-fill their prescriptions, and are terrified that during the time it takes them to receive another prescription their loved one might experience an overdose, and they will be helpless. As the number of overdoses has increased, so has the demand for Naloxone training and prescriptions.

To make Naloxone more available, Senator Carlucci has written a letter to the New York State Commissioner of Health Howard Zucker (Attached) and requested that he make Naloxone more readily available, by allowing individuals who need this life saving medication to purchase it without a prescription. This can be done through a Standing Order, which has already been done in California and Rhode Island.

“After hosting numerous forums and trainings throughout the state, it is obvious that Naloxone saves lives,” said Senator David Carlucci.” There is a shortage of professionals like Bill Matthews from the Harm Reduction Coalition, who are willing to take time and train members of the public, law enforcement officials and first responders. I have asked Commissioner Zucker to issue a Standing Order because as opioid overdoses rise, so does the demand for Naloxone, which safe and easy to administered.”