Last week, Crain’s New York Health Pulse published a thorough examination of the effects of the FDA’s ruling to make Narcan legal for over the counter sale. Crain’s spoke to experts across the harm reduction and advocacy spaces, including our friends at VOCAL-NY, and our very own harm reduction manager Joel Teron. Read some of Joel’s insights below:
“Joel Teron, harm reduction manager at the Alliance Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center, said that over-the-counter access to Narcan “reaches an entirely different market,” as people who may be hesitant to access services at harm reduction facilities may be more comfortable walking into a drug store and picking Narcan up off the shelf.
Teron added that it remains to be seen how pharmacies will provide information and resources to people about how to use Narcan. Alliance LES Harm Reduction Center has been providing people with free Narcan and naloxone medications for years, providing training about how to administer the treatment, he said.”