Tiny drug responsible for saving hundreds comes with a hefty price tag

Narcan is a tiny drug that’s making a big impact in the fight against opioids.

In 2017 alone, over 100 lives were saved locally.

“If we have a suspicion that there is narcotic use or some kind of overdose may have happened our Narcan would be responsive to and we’ll go ahead and administer it,” Chris Gutierrez, a firefighter paramedic with Lincoln Fire and Rescue, said.

Narcan is an antidote for opioid overdoses, which means it quickly reverses the effects of an overdose.

It can be administered intravenously or through a nasal spray.

Every engine and medic unit in the city is equipped with Narcan.

Lincoln Police’s narcotics officers also carry it, but have never had to use it.

Last year Lancaster County deputies began carrying it and within a matter of months, it saved the life of a Lincoln Police officer.

“One of our deputies usages was for a Lincoln Police officer who had suspected gotten an overdose from a street drug,” Sheriff Terry Wagner, of Lancaster County Sheriff, said.

LSO has used the life saving drug just three times so far, but each use comes with a hefty price tag.

Sheriff Wagner says one pack of Narcan provides just two doses of the drug and rings in at $75.

Another issue is Narcan’s limited shelf life. It only lasts a few years before it has to be disposed of.

The department used drug seizure money to purchase their doses so the their budget and the taxpayers weren’t burdened to pay for the life saving drug.

LSO, LPD, and LFR all say the drug’s price tag is well worth it when it’s saving lives in a matter of seconds.

“As a paramedic you obviously don’t want anything bad to happen to anybody, but it’s definitely one of those things where you can see an immediate impact from what you’re doing out in the field and I personally find a lot of fulfillment and enjoyment in it,” Gutierrez said.

Between the three agencies Narcan is administered at least once a week.