Ask the Pharmacist

You are correct. Everyday our country faces the worst outcome of the growing opioid crisis, lives lost due to overdoses. Overdose-related deaths do not discriminate. Anyone can fall victim to it. It could be forgetfulness and taking too many prescription pain pills, or it could be street drugs laced with fentanyl. In November of 2022, the Los Angeles Department of Public Health published a report that detailed deaths due to overdose, and the conclusion were startling. We learned that 92% of individuals ages 12 through 17 years old died due to an overdose of fentanyl, and while that number is high so are the others – 80% ages 18 to 25 years old and 52% of people 26 years old and older. We must continue to educate our youth and all of our loved ones about the potential for abuse and death due to inappropriate opioid use.

If you have Narcan (naloxone) on hand, you could potentially save a life from an opioid-related overdose. This includes prescription opioids, fentanyl, and heroin exposure. Narcan (naloxone) works by reviving a person within 2 to 3 minutes from slow and shallow breathing, or even the loss of breathing. No prescription is needed from qualified pharmacists. Using Narcan is easy and pharmacists can help with training. Because of the growing epidemic of opioid-related overdoses, most insurance carriers will pay at least in part for Narcan (naloxone). The Good Samaritan laws in California protect individuals administering Narcan (naloxone). Calabasas Pharmacy is proud to offer Narcan to all our community members and will work with your insurance to get you the best coverage. Let’s come together as a community in unity and strength in the fight against opioid-related overdoses.

Brenda Johnson, R.Ph.

Calabasas Pharmacy Owner

Inside Gelson’s Market

22277 Mulholland Hwy., Calabasas

M – F: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

P: 818.223.8656 F: 818.223.8750 calabasaspharmacy.com

Nylm Etiquette Dinner

Jeremy Lawrence Photography

On Sunday, February 5th, the West Valley Chapter of the National League of Young Men, Inc., (NLYM) held their annual Etiquette Dinner for their junior young men, hosting the junior class of the National Charity League’s SFV Chapter at the Calabasas Country Club for a dinner and protocol lesson about the proper etiquette procedures in a board room or at a formal professional dinner. Both organizations pride themselves in raising young leaders in our community who do tremendous philanthropic work with their mothers and learn leadership qualities to take into their future careers. Monica Parmar, president of NLYM-West Valley, and Sandra Chavarria-Roe, president of NCLSFV, were both at the dinner and beaming with pride to see their junior classes participate in this important event. They give a big thank you to Arax Gross and Tiffany Weitzman for planning the entire evening for the NLYM’s West Valley Chapter.