LATROBE, Pa. — A drug that saved lives earlier this week after nearly a dozen people overdosed on heroin in Pittsburgh is now being stocked at a Latrobe pharmacy.
Sue Schopp said a new device at The Medicine Shoppe that automatically administers a dose of Naloxone is “foolproof.”
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"I thought there was a need to have it in for the actual families or friends that wanted it,” said Schopp.
Schopp, who owns The Medicine Shoppe on Ligonier Street in Latrobe, told Channel 11 News that she began stocking Naloxone shortly after state lawmakers passed what's known as the Good Samaritan law, which allows law enforcement to administer the drug without liability concerns.
“We can work with parents, family members, anybody who has the need to feel they want this in their home,” Schopp said.
The pharmacy carries three types of Naloxone: an injection, a nasal version and a dose that can can be delivered through the automatic unit.
Schopp said the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force has been instrumental in helping her equip the pharmacy with Naloxone, and since The Medicine Shoppe has a standing order from a physician, a traditional prescription is not needed.
“You want to get this in people's hands who are on opioids because if that situation arises where they do have an overdose, you want to try and save a life,” Schopp said.
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WPXI
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