21-04-2025
Kansas eases Narcan regulations to fight opioid crisis
KANSAS — Governor Laura Kelly recently signed a bill into law she says will help combat the opioid epidemic in Kansas.
'If it saves one life then, I think it's a good thing and I think it's the right direction that we need to be going.'
Galena interim police chief. Chad Allison, is talking about Senate Bill 193, a bill signed by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. This new law removes a layer of red tape making it easier for law enforcement to provide Narcan or Naloxone during an opioid overdose.
'Usually once somebody calls 911 or asks for help, the officer usually beats everybody else, there.'
Previously, agencies had to go through a medical director or licensed pharmacist to obtain Narcan. Now they're able to do that without this requirement.
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'Our officers do carry it in their, go, in their duty bags, in their vehicles. And most of our officers carry it even when off duty, because you just never know, you know, when you're going to run into a situation where that can be helpful,' said Allison.
So if there's an overdose emergency and they are the first on the scene, he says this new change can make a difference as each second matters.
'We're seeing more and more overdose deaths and stuff. And then if it's something that can be prevented, then to me it just makes sense to to equip us and have us ready.'
Both law enforcement agencies and pharmacies both say that having Naloxone or Narcan is a life saving tool.
'I think from a health care perspective, it's a great measure for the state to do this. They're just going to be that much more accessible to these people to give them the the immediate treatment that they need,' said Steven Mayberry, 4-States Pharmacy manager.
While Narcan works on most overdose cases, there are some drug combinations, like meth mixed with the horse tranquilizer Xzylazine, also known as tranq dope, that Narcan has no effect on.
Any new medicines developed for reversing overdose deaths will still need to be approved by a medical professional.
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