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To combat the rising number of overdose deaths this year in Palm Beach County, the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics are offering free Narcan Display- MAT Clinic 4-11-22_smallcanisters of Narcan nasal spray without a prescription to adult patients at its network of clinics countywide.  Patients and their families no longer need to ask for Narcan; they can grab it and take it on the go. The nasal spray is safe, easy to administer and has no side effects.  The two-dose box of Narcan was first offered to patients receiving outpatient care for substance use disorders at the Health Care District’s Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Clinic in West Palm Beach. Within a few days, a clinic patient reported using the Narcan to save a man’s life.

Narcan, the brand name for the prescription nasal spray Naloxone, rapidly reverses an opioid overdose from prescription painkillers, heroin, and fentanyl. First responders carry it and 911 should be called when Narcan is used. Signs that someone is overdosing include unresponsiveness, blue or gray skin and lips, choking or gurgling sounds, slow or shallow breathing, or no breathing at all.

“Narcan saves lives,” said Belma Andrić, M.D., MPH, the Health Care District’s Chief Medical Officer. “Through the Florida Department of Children and Families, Narcan is free to our patients without a prescription, eliminating barriers for patients and families to carry this important harm-reduction medication. This month we’re offering the nasal spray in all of our 10 clinics, pharmacies and mobile clinics for patients to grab and go so they have it on hand in the event of an emergency. We hope to help normalize using Narcan for those who suffer from opioid use disorders the same way people carry and know how to use EpiPens for loved ones who suffer from severe allergies.”