Over-the-counter Narcan still hard to find
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif.-Narcan can now be sold over-the-counter nationwide, but locally it is still hard to find.
It was already sold out at Walgreens in Goleta on Wednesday afternoon where the price tag on the shelf reads $ 49.99.
When Narcan is restocked it will be located in the store's pain aisle next to Tylenol and Advil.
It is still on order at local Rite Aid and CVS stores.
It appears CVS may have it locked in a case with other over-the-counter pain relief.
A member of the family-owned Medicine Shoppe on States Street in Santa Barbara said they will order it if there is demand.
If you can't find it for sale or afford it San Luis Obispo County's Behavioral Health Department carries it for free to carriers who sign up online at https://www.slocounty.ca.gov and receive it in the mail.
Other agencies in Santa Barbara and Isla Vista do, too.
The Isla Vista Community Services District Board President believes it will make a difference.
"I think that this is a really incredible change that is going to save lives. To be able to have this life saving treatment more accessible to everyday people over the counter is just such a big win," said Spencer Brandt.
IVCSD General Manager Jonathan Abboud agrees.
First responders used Narcan to try to revive a person found near Stearns Wharf on Wednesday morning.
Unfortunately the man died and Santa Barbara Police said they won't know it he died of an overdose until an autopsy is performed.
Narcan, also known as Naloxone, is safe to use even if the condition of the person found unconscious is not clear. It is meant to reverse the affects of opioids in the brain by restoring slowed breathing.
Stefanie Forrester, who lost her only child Justin to a accidental fentanyl overdose in Isla Vista, said she is concerned about the cost.
She wants more to be done to prevent fentanyl use, in the first place.
Forrester who used to live in Montecito has turned her grief into activism by putting up public service announcement at gas stations and she often speaks to people who she believes can make a difference.
