Heroin Addiction Treatment in Austin: Naloxone at Walgreens

Full Article HERE

Walgreens is bringing the lifesaving Naloxone to its stores in Texas. As part of its comprehensive national plan to combat the ever growing heroin addiction and opioid addiction in America, Walgreens has now made naloxone available without a prescription. The summer, anyone in Texas will be able to purchase a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. The timing couldn’t have been better, as Austin, Texas struggles with opioid overdoses that are taking the lives of addicts. Like most of the country, the city of Austin has felt the effects of the current opioid and heroin addiction epidemic. Naloxone (also called Narcan) is the antidote that reverses an opioid overdose. It has been used in ambulances and hospitals for decades to reverse overdoses. It’s legal and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It works by neutralizing the opioids in your system and helping you breathe again. Naloxone only works if a person has opioids in their system; the medication doesn’t work on other drugs. You can’t get high from it and it is safe for nearly everyone. It has been used in programs all over the world to effectively reverse opioid overdoses. It’s a lifesaver, there’s no doubt about it. There are two kinds of naloxone, one that you can squirt up someone’s nose and another that can be injected through clothing into a muscle. This form of heroin addiction treatment allows the addict to seek sobriety after an overdose. Advocates have been working long and hard to increase access to naloxone across the state, which they say can and will save a lot of lives. Dr. Alicia Kowalchuk with Baylor Medicine in Houston wrote the standing order for medication in every Walgreens in the state. She signed the order because many family members of addicts she works with have felt powerless over their loved ones addictions, she says “this could give them a sense of something to do in an emergency”. Naloxone isn’t the heroin addiction treatment in Austin, Texas solution, addicts must seek more help to overcome their addictions. Austin already has a large recovery community but current addicts cant seek recovery if they have overdosed. Trending in the News Media Stations, teary eyed Americans across the nation are still saddened over the death of music icon Prince, who died from an accidental overdose on opioids. Prince’s autopsy report, which confirms his death was caused by Fentanyl toxicity. Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opiate that’s used to treat severe pain, such as after a surgery. It is similar to but more powerful than morphine, according to the National Institutes on Drug Abuse. Naloxone can reverse a fentanyl overdose, although it may require multiple doses.  Earlier this month, police issued an urgently worded news advisory to the residents of Austin warning of the dangers of Fentanyl. The Austin Police Department have made arrests of two men for allegedly trafficking the controlled substance fentanyl, which has been blamed for string of overdoses in Austin, even including a handful of deaths.

If you or someone you know is struggling with heroin addiction or opioid addiction, and is looking for a heroin detox in Austin, Texas or opioid detox in Austin, Texas. Give us a call today.