# Will Über Drivers start carrying overdose reversing drug?



## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

(Narcan)

http://www.your4state.com/news/i-27...carrying-an-overdose-reversing-drug/631778782

This is sort of a miracle drug. I saw them take a non-responsive OD patient into West Penn ER here, injected him with it, and in a matter of seconds , the patients was up and about and a real pain in the keister.

EMT calls are pretty expensive, and there really isn't a big density of medics either- a lot more Uber partners.

This idea could provide an inexpensive option for someone to call if there is an o.d.


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## Jagent (Jan 29, 2017)

I'm not a doctor and I'm not a paramedic. If Uber were to start requiring this, I'd probably quit driving. We don't get paid to provide medical care. I can only imagine the lawsuits that would come with a misdiagnosis that results in an allergic reaction or someone dieing because they called Uber instead of an ambulance. Dealing with drunks is bad enough, now they want us to drive around rescuing heroin addicts?


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## Rick N. (Mar 2, 2016)

So now we're gonna have junkies requesting fubers to revive their buddies at .35 cents a minute only to have them lash out at you for killing their high? And who's gonna have to pay for this crap? Certainly not Travis. No thanks.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Better than waiting for coroner to remove dead body from your car.
I had written an article on this here about a year ago.
Heroine is becoming increasingly available and cheaper.


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## Jagent (Jan 29, 2017)

Don't have to worry about a coroner removing anybody from my car. Pax passes out, I'm dragging him out of the car then calling 911. No one will even offer to help pay for damage done to the car by paramedics, etc. Not gonna happen.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

I have an aversion to dead 19 year olds in my back seat.
Call me a softy.


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## handiacefailure (Mar 12, 2017)

Hell no!!!!!

We all know Uber would never pay for this to begin with and I can't imagine any Uber driver is going to pay out of pocket to carry it.

Like Jagent said we aren't trained medical professionals and we would be setting ourselves up for lawsuits if the drug wasn't administered correctly (and we all know Uber wouldn't be backing us up if we got sued).

I don't know a lot about Heroin OD's but I was always under the impression if someone was ODing on herion and required medical assistance they wouldn't be able to call for help and would have to have someone with them to make the call. Are people really that stupid and/or cheap that if there is a drug overdose they would open up the uber app on their phone instead of calling 911???? 

And I would be surprised if medical providers would support this. I picked up a passenger a few weeks ago from having had vision correction surgery and he was telling me how cool it was to be able to see without glasses right off the surgery and I was talking to him about it since I had the surgery a long time ago. He told me he lied and told the doctors office a friend was picking him up because they told him a taxi or uber couldn't pick him up and if it wasn't a family member or friend he'd be required to take an ambulance home. I would have been fine driving myself home after my surgery except they gave me Valium before. If they don't want a patient taking uber home after a simple surgery for liability reasons they sure aren't going to want Uber drivers administering drugs and diagnosing OD's.

I'd also cancel a fare if someone looked like they were in an OD state and would be calling 911.

I am surprised Uber doesn't require us to have CPR training though but we all know they are too cheap to pay for training and a lot of drivers wouldn't drive if they had to pay for it out of pocket. I do have CPR training and wouldn't hesitate to perform it on a passenger if they required it but no way am I treating a drug overdose.


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## Jagent (Jan 29, 2017)

Soon as they get hit with Narcan, 90% of the time, they vomit. 

Gotta love how they expect Uber drivers to save the world for $.60/mile. Too drunk to get yourself home? Call Uber. OD on heroin? Call Uber. Need your kid to get to school? Call Uber.

And no tip required nor expected!


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

handiacefailure said:


> Hell no!!!!!
> 
> We all know Uber would never pay for this to begin with and I can't imagine any Uber driver is going to pay out of pocket to carry it.
> 
> ...


I'm just saying,its all over my city.
Even the damn college kids are getting into it.
Had one on next street from me overdose snorting it,they saved him.


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## handiacefailure (Mar 12, 2017)

Jagent said:


> Soon as they get hit with Narcan, 90% of the time, they vomit.


Nice so Uber will expect us to administer Narcan, run the risk of getting sued and then having the passenger puke all over our car taking it out of commission for the rest of the night and wait to get reimbursed the cleaning fee (not to mention the time we lose driving by administering it, etc) for what will probably amount to $5 after I consider the SE taxes I pay. I googled the cost of Narcan and it looks like it's $20 to $45 a dose. That makes sense from an Uber corporate standpoint, have your drivers spend $20 to $45 to carry around a drug that will have your passenger puke all over your car for a fare that nets you $5


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## Jagent (Jan 29, 2017)

From what I've read, this is a non issue anyway. Most ODs occur within seconds of the user ingesting the drugs. They take the hit and they're out like a light. So, unless you got pax shooting up and snorting in your backseat, it's not likely that anyone will OD in your car to begin with.

Now, I could be wrong about this cause I've got no experience with it. My post is Google knowledge. If addicts typically pass out later, I'd like to know.


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## handiacefailure (Mar 12, 2017)

tohunt4me said:


> I'm just saying,its all over my city.
> Even the damn college kids are getting into it.
> Had one on next street from me overdose snorting it,they saved him.


I know it's a serious problem and a bank teller who used to wait on me a lot at my bank became addicted to Herion and had a few close calls and is a big advocate of Narcan but I don't think it's my responsibility as an Uber driver to carry or administer it (even if Uber pays for it) just like I don't think a taxi or bus or subway employee or flight attendant should have to carry it and administer it.

I just don't understand why someone wouldn't be calling a paramedic in the case of a heroin overdose instead of Uber. A paramedic is trained to handle these situations and is paid a hell of a lot more than an uber driver and if someone throws up in the ambulance they don't have to worry about cleaning it up


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

handiacefailure said:


> I just don't understand why someone wouldn't be calling a paramedic in the case of a heroin overdose instead of Uber. A paramedic is trained to handle these situations and is paid a hell of a lot more than an uber driver and if someone throws up in the ambulance they don't have to worry about cleaning it up


The problem is that ambulances charge a booking fee of $600- $1000 plus $164/mile. Uber is a lot more popularly priced and affordable.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

handiacefailure said:


> I know it's a serious problem and a bank teller who used to wait on me a lot at my bank became addicted to Herion and had a few close calls and is a big advocate of Narcan but I don't think it's my responsibility as an Uber driver to carry or administer it (even if Uber pays for it) just like I don't think a taxi or bus or subway employee or flight attendant should have to carry it and administer it.
> 
> I just don't understand why someone wouldn't be calling a paramedic in the case of a heroin overdose instead of Uber. A paramedic is trained to handle these situations and is paid a hell of a lot more than an uber driver and if someone throws up in the ambulance they don't have to worry about cleaning it up


Well,as a driver ,we cover a lot of ground.we see a lot of stuff.
If I were stopping at a place or passing by,and an ambulance was 10 minutes away . . .good chance I could keep them alive till the ambulance got there. After that it's off my hands.

I personally believe,every Uber driver should carry a detectives card. Make a friend or 2 in police dept. That way if you view a potential robber ,rapist ,burglar . . .or just plain suspicious event,you have someone to pass it on to.



I_Like_Spam said:


> The problem is that ambulances charge a booking fee of $600- $1000 plus $164/mile. Uber is a lot more popularly priced and affordable.


I don't want someone calling just to get free Narcan !
Not unless Uber will supply it for free and garuntee call out pay !

There is no guarantee Narcan will work every time for everyone.
Alcohol and opiates stops breathing . . .coke & heroine cause yet another distinctive set of problems.
Narcan is good mainly for opiates.

Even if you bring them back,they still need medical attention.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> Even if you bring them back,they still need medical attention.


That's what they are counting on, I think.

Maybe the OD victims will start using Uber to get to their NA meetings.


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## Jagent (Jan 29, 2017)

I know this opinion will not be popular, but if they are so concerned about saving lives, they should just legalize heroin and sell it in safe dosages at pharmacies. That would take distribution out of the hands of criminals. The government could use the money for treatment centers.



I_Like_Spam said:


> The problem is that ambulances charge a booking fee of $600- $1000 plus $164/mile. Uber is a lot more popularly priced and affordable.


That's the risk of being a heroin addict. Why should we, as Uber drivers, be expected to subsidize that lifestyle? Saving a heroin addict a few hundred bucks isn't a high priority to me.


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## PrestonT (Feb 15, 2017)

Jagent said:


> I'm not a doctor and I'm not a paramedic. If Uber were to start requiring this, I'd probably quit driving. We don't get paid to provide medical care. I can only imagine the lawsuits that would come with a misdiagnosis that results in an allergic reaction or someone dieing because they called Uber instead of an ambulance. Dealing with drunks is bad enough, now they want us to drive around rescuing heroin addicts?


New service: UberMed. for licensed MDs who want to moonlight for $3.75 per call.



I_Like_Spam said:


> The problem is that ambulances charge a booking fee of $600- $1000 plus $164/mile. Uber is a lot more popularly priced and affordable.


You speak as if drug fiends ever actually pay their bills.....


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## prsvshine (Mar 2, 2017)

Its ridiculous how people think we are responsible for so many things when we get paid so little to from Point A to Point B. We are not limo drivers, we are not chaperones, we are not even cab drivers. Our responsibility is getting my car from your origin to your destination with you in the front or back seat. Thats it.


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## Jermin8r89 (Mar 10, 2016)

The drug problem in this country is ridiculous! Howany people are smokeing synthetics?

I had a person vapeing their alcohol in back of my vehical! He stopped. He was like a college kid too. 

Could you imagine how much the drug problem would be when SDVs come out? Those cars could end up being mobile morges


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## Red Leader (Sep 4, 2016)

Narcan is nothing new.

I'm out of the lifesaving business. You overdosed? That's not my problem. Having a medical emergency? I will pull over and call emergencies services.

Start acting like an adult. You will see the number of life threatening episodes occurring in your life drop to near zero.

Oh...and if you call me to bring your in labor wife to the hospital? I'm not taking her.


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## Trebor (Apr 22, 2015)

The whole basis of this is that a ambulance is too expensive? So, they call me, and I administer it. Guess what? Im still going to wait for an ambulance. I don't think I will just shoot someone up with narcan and let them be on their way like nothing happend.

I for one have no problem administering this if the narcan was free of charge and I got a small fee. Perhaps in line with a cleaning fee. Hell, they can call me in the middle of the night if no one was available.

I personally always loved injecting needles into a persons body. Thats just me though. I already have experience with this type of stuff.

We also have to assume that the drug addict is going to have a smartphone that has access to the internet. I think this is more of a problem then finding drivers willing to do it.


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## Tr4vis Ka1anick (Oct 2, 2016)

But what about the Narcan badge we are developing to award drivers with?

Personally, I am only going to administer it if surge is at 2.0X or higher.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

Trebor said:


> The whole basis of this is that a ambulance is too expensive? So, they call me, and I administer it. Guess what? Im still going to wait for an ambulance. I don't think I will just shoot someone up with narcan and let them be on their way like nothing happend.
> 
> We also have to assume that the drug addict is going to have a smartphone that has access to the internet. I think this is more of a problem then finding drivers willing to do it.


Lots of people have smart phones now, and a lot of them are with friends who have smart phones when they OD.

Narcan really turns around people pretty quickly, some patients might not be interested in taking the ambulance a minute after they narcan.


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## PrestonT (Feb 15, 2017)

Trebor said:


> The whole basis of this is that a ambulance is too expensive? So, they call me, and I administer it. Guess what? Im still going to wait for an ambulance. I don't think I will just shoot someone up with narcan and let them be on their way like nothing happend.
> 
> I for one have no problem administering this if the narcan was free of charge and I got a small fee. Perhaps in line with a cleaning fee. Hell, they can call me in the middle of the night if no one was available.
> 
> ...


It's probably an epi-pen like forced injection. Less satisfying than sticking an inch of hypodermic needle into their convulsing body.



Tr4vis Ka1anick said:


> View attachment 105751
> 
> 
> But what about the Narcan badge we are developing to award drivers with?
> ...


Haha 2.5X surge on Fremont Street each and every night! But only for UberMed.


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## Trebor (Apr 22, 2015)

Tr4vis Ka1anick said:


> Personally, I am only going to administer it if surge is at 2.0X or higher.





PrestonT said:


> Haha 2.5X surge on Fremont Street each and every night! But only for UberMed.


After you administer the Narcan you turn around and your car is on blocks.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

Trebor said:


> After you administer the Narcan you turn around and your car is on blocks.


Not necessarily. The smack problem is a pretty broad epidemic and encompasses a lot of neighborhoods that don't have a lot of open criminality.


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## PrestonT (Feb 15, 2017)

I_Like_Spam said:


> (Narcan)
> 
> http://www.your4state.com/news/i-27...carrying-an-overdose-reversing-drug/631778782
> 
> ...


By the way, this hack writer committed one of my top pet peeves. It's not "road to hoe" it's "row to hoe." "Road to hoe" doesn't even make sense.


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## Jermin8r89 (Mar 10, 2016)

I_Like_Spam said:


> Not necessarily. The smack problem is a pretty broad epidemic and encompasses a lot of neighborhoods that don't have a lot of open criminality.


Might have to start putting 1 of these in car. Just make sure its away from tip box. Oh boy you dont want a mix up haha


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

PrestonT said:


> By the way, this hack writer committed one of my top pet peeves. It's not "road to hoe" it's "row to hoe." "Road to hoe" doesn't even make sense.


"row to hoe" wouldn't have made any sense to the writer either, they probably don't know what a hoe is used for, or know that crops are sown in rows.


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## PrestonT (Feb 15, 2017)

I_Like_Spam said:


> "row to hoe" wouldn't have made any sense to the writer either, they probably don't know what a hoe is used for, or know that crops are sown in rows.


In which case the writer is lazily using a cliche she doesn't understand.


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## Trebor (Apr 22, 2015)

I_Like_Spam said:


> Not necessarily. The smack problem is a pretty broad epidemic and encompasses a lot of neighborhoods that don't have a lot of open criminality.


But middle upper class suburbia is not going to think of the cheapest way to get narcan.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

handiacefailure said:


> Nice so Uber will expect us to administer Narcan, run the risk of getting sued and then having the passenger puke all over our car taking it out of commission for the rest of the night and wait to get reimbursed the cleaning fee (not to mention the time we lose driving by administering it, etc) for what will probably amount to $5 after I consider the SE taxes I pay. I googled the cost of Narcan and it looks like it's $20 to $45 a dose. That makes sense from an Uber corporate standpoint, have your drivers spend $20 to $45 to carry around a drug that will have your passenger puke all over your car for a fare that nets you $5


Well, after the cleaning fee the fare nets you $205. Well, minus the cost of the Narcan.


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## Jc. (Dec 7, 2016)

I_Like_Spam said:


> Lots of people have smart phones now, and a lot of them are with friends who have smart phones when they OD.
> .


I've heard that most of uber's riders have smartphones


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

Trebor said:


> But middle upper class suburbia is not going to think of the cheapest way to get narcan.


They are going to think about the Quickest way to get it, and that's what Uber hopes to provide


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## Driving and Driven (Jul 4, 2016)

A report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January revealed that drug overdose deaths reached a new high in 2014, totaling 47,055 people. Opioids were involved in 60% of those deaths.

Frequently referred to as an "antidote" for opioid overdoses, naloxone has seen drastic price increases in recent years, according to information provided by Truven Health Analytics, a healthcare-analytics company. A popular injectable version of the drug has gone from $0.92 a dose to more than $15 a dose over the last decade. *An auto-injector version is up to more than $2,000 a dose.*

*http://www.businessinsider.com/price-of-naloxone-narcan-skyrocketing-2016-7*


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## Tr4vis Ka1anick (Oct 2, 2016)

Or better yet, we can train children to administer Naloxone!
Every 12 year old could be given an injector.
At that ripe age they are ambitious, naïve enough and trainable to do it for free.

http://www.businessinsider.com/price-of-naloxone-narcan-skyrocketing-2016-7

Why should we expect adults to be accountable and responsible enough to administer the drug?
Besides, most are hooked on smack because all their hopes and dreams have been flushed down the toilet.
Let their offspring do the dirty work.


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## PrestonT (Feb 15, 2017)

So I drove a couple last night, paramedic and RN. Asked them about this topic. Paramedic said the most common reaction to the narcan is that the patient often reacts violently to the treatment (toward the responders) because you just ####ed up their high.


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

Can't believe I was dumb enough to actually come into this thread.


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## Trebor (Apr 22, 2015)

PrestonT said:


> So I drove a couple last night, paramedic and RN. Asked them about this topic. Paramedic said the most common reaction to the narcan is that the patient often reacts violently to the treatment (toward the responders) because you just ####ed up their high.


Makes sense. I would be pissed off as well if you killed my buzz.


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## PrestonT (Feb 15, 2017)

Tr4vis Ka1anick said:


> Or better yet, we can train children to administer Naloxone!
> Every 12 year old could be given an injector.
> At that ripe age they are ambitious, naïve enough and trainable to do it for free.
> 
> ...


Apparently, according to the medical folks I talked to about this, there is no downside risk to this treatment.


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