You're right, I always mix that up. It's a little confusing when it comes to Narcan because it's something that does get logged as a prescription. It's just, as I understand it, prescribed by each state's surgeon general for the entire state population.
I'm all for people getting access to Narcan / naloxone by whatever means makes sense for them. Being fully informed is good too. This can end up a tag on your insurance that will plausibly subject you to at least some level of discrimination usually reserved for opioid users, and injection drug users. If someone is fine with that, by all means go the pharmacy route.
But I suppose if nothing else, getting Narcan over the counter you'll know if your local pharmacy is actually competent at doing this. And maybe it saves someone else the trouble, if they have no idea what they're doing. Living in Philly, me trying this a couple years ago and being turned down at two pharmacies (before being heavily sideyed at a third) was a bit of a wakeup call as to the barriers often involved in this type of access. Even in the most highest overdose death rate large city in the country.
The emphasis is because direct action is anarchist praxis. It's taking matters into one's own hands, personally or collectively, without the need to use the "proper channels." Which, depending on your strain of socialism/communism, may not be a specifically preferred tactic.
*also I do wish there was a better general understanding of what direct action actually is and isn't, and why. It's not just synonymous with taking risks and confrontation. Mutual aid is direct action, hanging a banner is (probably) not. Not to say one's always better than the other, but it's good to know what things mean and all.
100%!
Just be careful not to just toss it in a glove box; those same "if you're hot they're hot" / rules as with dogs in cars applies here.
YMMV, but I can't see this working here in Philly. We do have a good amount of city funding put into free Narcan programs.
Pharmacists that don't have people asking about this genuinely might not know. The one time I did this a couple years ago at a Walgreen's in Philly they were pretty clearly confused, despite this being a city with a huge overdose death rate. But coming in with a printout of your state's standing order, if there is one, should take care of this.
Narcan is a specific product that's the nasal delivery form of naloxone, which is otherwise usually administered through injection. Injection is definitely a better option if you're not averse to needles because you can dial in a much smaller dose of naloxone that will work as well as Narcan, but without slamming someone into immediate withdrawal.
It is in many places, even in the US varying from place to place.
WTF on why we don't have safe supply , though.
This varies from state to state, many have standing orders that allow you to pick it up from pharmacies without a prescription.
And you can get scheduled drugs over the counter, it's specifically schedule I (ie heroin, MDMA, LSD, cannabis, psilocybin) that's federally prohibited across the board. It's not common at all but someone could get fentanyl over the counter, or ketamine or meth (desoxyn). Those are schedule II, as are Adderall and Ritalin.
You can pick it up on its own. Also very much worth giving direct to someone who's unhoused. Or to any MDMA/coke/K users, as fentanyl has been increasingly showing up in these, and you really don't want your people to be the ones who got the bad batch with no backup plan.
So I'm all for Narcan distribution (and I have probably about 60 doses in my house right now to be distributed soon), but want to caution people about this for a couple reasons:
Actually free Narcan is generally pretty viable to come by (for example this program will send it to anyone via post for free. It's some of the other safer use supplies, many still classified as paraphernalia, that can be harder to come across.
Narcan / naloxone is effective against all opioids. It's a matter of whatever else might be in someone else's system (ie benzos, tranqs) that it doesn't affect, as it blocks the brain's opioid receptors. But you should be cautious on using Narcan unless someone's breathing is either really labored (like if it's more of a gurgle than a breath) or has stopped. Otherwise it's not an opioid overdose, and if the person is a regular opioid user you'll snap them into withdrawal right away without any need to do so.
Also, for people seeing this later - please feel free to hit me up with harm reduction questions! First time long time, seeing this thread finally coaxed me into registering an account.
A sternum rub (just make sure not to do this repeatedly.. it either works or it doesn't and excessive sternum rubbing can scar) or pressing your fingernail into the bed of one of their fingernails are some go-to pressure points worth trying before administering