The Okaloosa County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) said responders gave 664 doses of Narcan nasal spray in 2022. EMS Division Chief Darrel Welborn said they are already on pace to top that number in 2023.
“In 2023 so far in the 2 1/2 months we have administered Narcan 164 times,” said Welborn.
Narcan is a drug given to those overdosing on opioids such as Fentanyl. “The administration of Narcan, which is an opiate antagonist, basically binds with the opiate receptors in the body and blocks the Narcan from being uptake into the system,” said Welborn. “It’s a temporizing measure. Our goal is to get the patient back breathing and then get them to the emergency room.” The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) lists Fentanyl as a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic.