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Pharmacies dispensing life-saving overdose treatment

It is hard to imagine that a simple nasal spray might have saved the life of Ryan Oftebro's 27-year-old cousin, who overdosed on the opiate methadone and died.
A calamity, nearly five years later, Oftebro is still coming to terms with.
"Here was somebody that had everything in the world going for him," said Oftebro. "He was a young professional, architect, living in Washington, D.C. Not somebody at that time, you would have thought of having an issue abusing opiates."
It spurred the longtime Seattle pharmacist to dispense the life-saving Naloxone to anyone at his family's Kelley-Ross Pharmacy.
"Because of the laws in Washington state, the Good Samaritan laws, anybody that wants to have a kit can have a kit," said Oftebro. "No questions asked."
A PSA shows how Naloxone can reverse the effects of an overdose. How quickly?
"Usually, 60 to 90 seconds," said Oftebro.
In fact, Naloxone is being made even more widely available.

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Last year, the state Legislature allowed organizations that deal with those who are addicted to have Naloxone on hand for anyone who might need it.
"Overdoses are accidents; people aren't trying to kill themselves," said Daniel Malone.
Last summer, Malone started buying Naloxone from Kelley-Ross pharmacy for the Downtown Emergency Services Center (DESC) he runs in Seattle.
"I think the more hands that this antidote is in," said Malone, "the better the opportunity that there won't be fatal overdoses."
So far, nine people DESC serves have been saved, about one person a month.
"Survive and have the opportunity to be better," said Malone.
"It's impacting every corner of our community," said Oftebro.
He is trying to help change that, one nasal spray at a time."
The Naloxone kit costs about $105, enough for two life-saving doses and training for how to use it.
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