How to save a fentanyl victim: Key facts about naloxone

Naloxone is an over-the-counter nasal-spray medication that can save an overdose victim by rapidly reversing the effects of fentanyl, heroin and other opioids.

Doctors urge all people – especially those with prescription opioids at home or a substance abuser in the household – to keep naloxone in their first aid kits or even in their bags. Anyone can experience an opioid emergency, including small children who accidentally ingest the drugs.

Naloxone is sold under brand names such as Narcan and RiVive. It can be bought online or at major pharmacies for between $30 and $45 a kit. Each kit contains two nasal spray applicators. Sometimes, multiple doses must be administered.

Many health departments and community groups give kits away, no questions asked. A web search for “free naloxone” returned hundreds of results.

Dr. Bonnie Milas, an intensive care anesthesiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, uses fentanyl in combination with other drugs to treat critical patients. She also lost two sons to accidental fentanyl overdose. She’s the face of the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ program, which offers an instructional video and other guidance on how to use naloxone to revive an overdose victim.

Milas often talks about her experience with groups of people who have lost loved ones to fentanyl. “I tell them that you should not have a sense of guilt or responsibility,” she says. “They tried. You tried. And ultimately, the outcome was out of your control … But you did your best. And I think you should really take comfort in knowing that you did what you could.