As the death toll continues to climb due to opioid / heroin overdoses, there is also another problem developing on the horizon - a possible shortage of the lifesaving drug Naloxone.
Naloxone is used as an antidote to reverse the effects of an opioid / heroin overdose. It has been credited with saving countless individuals across the country.
However, demand for the drug is so great that there are concerns manufacturers will not be able to keep up.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz tells 7 Eyewitness News reporter Ed Reilly that the county currently has an adequate supply on hand, but Poloncarz worries that supply of Naloxone might run out in June or July because so much is being used on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
The county's supply of Naloxone is funded by a grant from New York State. If supplies were to run out, Poloncarz said Erie County would have no choice but to look at purchasing Naloxone on its own.
In the attached video clips, the county executive talks about the situation.
NYS provides information about pharmacies that dispense naloxone with a standing order. Click here to see what pharmacies are doing that in Erie County: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/aids/general/opioid_overdose_prevention/docs/pharmacy_directory.pdf
The Erie County Health Department provided this link to a document that you should bring to the pharmacy if you are seeking naloxone:http://www2.erie.gov/health/sites/www2.erie.gov.health/files/uploads/pdfs/naloxoneatpharmacy.pdf
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