Naloxone – Save a Life

Where can I get Naloxone?

Low-Cost Naloxone

• Your Local Pharmacy: The Utah Naloxone Standing Order allows pharmacists to give naloxone to anyone without a prescription. You can still get a prescription from a healthcare provider if you prefer. Sometimes a healthcare provider will prescribe naloxone with an opioid prescription. Getting a naloxone prescription may help your health insurance cover some or all of the cost, sometimes even making it free. Your pharmacist can review your insurance plan to determine potential savings. The price and insurance coverage can be different for each type of naloxone kit.
  
  
• Over the Counter (OCT): Naloxone can be bought without a prescription at most grocery stores and online. It is usually on the store shelves, or you can ask a staff member for help. This option lets you buy it right away, but you will likely pay the full price.

Free Naloxone

• Utah County Health Department: Free training and naloxone kits are available to individuals who are unable to pay the cost of naloxone. Go to healthevents.utahcounty.gov to schedule a free training and receive a Narcan Nasal Spray kit. You can also email naloxonesaves@utahcounty.gov or call 801-851-7095. Pick up your naloxone kit at 151 S. University Ave. Suite 2700, Provo, Utah.
  
  
• Participating Utah County City Libraries: Many city libraries in Utah County provide naloxone at no cost. Ask if your library has a naloxone program. Staff will share some basic information about using naloxone and give you a kit.
  
  
  • American Fork Library
    64 S 100 E, American Fork, UT
    (801) 763-3070
    
  • Eagle Mountain City Library
    1650 Stagecoach Run, Eagle Mountain, UT
    (801) 789-6623
    
  • Payson City Library
    66 S Main St, Payson, UT
    (801) 465-5220
    
  • Provo City Library
    550 N University Ave, Provo, UT
    (801) 852-6650
    
  • Salem City Library
    59 S Main St, Salem, UT
    (801) 423-2622
    
  • Saratoga Springs Public Library
    1307 Commerce Dr. Suite 140, Saratoga Springs, UT
    (801) 766-6513
    
  • Spanish Fork Library
    80 S Main St, Spanish Fork, UT
    (801) 804-4480
    
  • Springville Public Library
    45 S Main St, Springville, UT
    (801) 489-2720
    
    
• Utah Naloxone: Visit Utah Naloxone or call 385-495-9050 for no-cost naloxone kits. Online trainings and mailed naloxone kits available.
  
  
• To learn more about naloxone and where to get it, visit: naloxone.utah.gov

What is Naloxone?

Naloxone is a safe medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. It works only for opioid overdoses, not for overdoses involving other substances. 

How does it work?

Opioids are medications often prescribed by a doctor to help manage pain. Common examples include oxycodone (Percocet®, OxyContin®) and hydrocodone (Norco®, Vicodin®). Fentanyl and morphine are opioids commonly used in hospitals, while heroin is an illegal opioid. If you take opioids, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about safer options or ways to reduce risks and manage side effects.

Opioids work by binding to receptors in the brain that send pain signals through the body. By blocking these receptors, opioids reduce the feeling of pain. However, if too many receptors are activated, the central nervous system slows down. This can cause breathing to slow or stop, which is how an opioid overdose becomes life-threatening.

Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose by removing opioids from those receptors and taking their place. This helps restore normal breathing and central nervous system function. Naloxone starts working within 2–5 minutes. Its effects last 30–90 minutes, after which the person can re-overdose if the opioids are still in their system.

What are the side effects?

Naloxone is non-psychoactive, so it cannot be used to get impaired or high. Side effects are rare, but some people may experience immediate withdrawal symptoms after it’s given. These can include flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sweating, muscle aches, and agitation. Symptoms vary based on the individual and the substance involved.

Naloxone can be used on adults, children, and even animals when an opioid overdose is suspected. In some cases, multiple doses may be needed to reverse the overdose. 

Types of Naloxone

Individual preference, insurance coverage, and price can all influence which type of naloxone someone chooses.

Manual (Intramuscular)
Narcan (Nasal)

All naloxone kits come with two doses. Store naloxone at room temperature and dispose of it properly when it expires. All forms of naloxone are equally effective, but they differ in ease of use and cost.

Naloxone Instructions

How to Spot an Opiate Overdose

How to Administer Naloxone Nasal Spray Kit

Additional Narcan Nasal Spray Tutorial

Where can I find out more about opioids?

• Stop the Opidemic
• Know Your Script
• Easy Ways to Improve Opioid Safety
• How to Prevent an Opioid Overdose

Mental Health & Treatment Resources

• Visit United Way 211 for treatment options. 
  You can also download the app or call 2-1-1.