Muhlenberg tennis player Caroline Armknecht, a rising junior double major in English and neuroscience, writes about her summer research aimed at preventing deaths due to opioids:
This summer I have been continuing research with Dr. Jeffrey Rudski, professor of psychology, for my Dana internship evaluating the availability of Narcan in pharmacies across the Lehigh Valley.
Narcan is the medication that is used to reverse opioid drug overdoses. Currently, the state of Pennsylvania has a standing order to provide Narcan to anyone that wants it without needing a prescription. However, even with the standing order, Narcan access can still be problematic due to incorrect knowledge across pharmacies, as well as factors related to costs.
To evaluate knowledge and costs, we made 141 calls to pharmacies in Lehigh and Northampton counties and conducted a uniform survey. This research is important because 75 to 100% of drug overdose deaths are preventable as long as Narcan is administered in time, so ensuring that the general public can obtain Narcan is important in preventing unnecessary overdose deaths.
In the study, we found it notable that 19% of the pharmacies did not have Narcan available, even though that number should be zero percent. Additionally, 36% of pharmacies said that a prescription would be necessary to purchase Narcan, but that number should also be zero because of the state's standing order.
We also found that depending on the type of pharmacy called, the prices of Narcan varied significantly; Narcan at chain pharmacies such as CVS and Rite Aid had a mean cost of $129, nearly $20 less than their private pharmacy counterparts, which had a mean cost of $150. To top that, specialized pharmacies' mean cost of Narcan is $190, $60 more than the chain. With a drug that's expensive to begin with, a $60 difference could make an impact in an at-risk drug user deciding not to purchase it.
Lastly, we found accessibility was related to demographic factors as well, with Narcan access being slightly more difficult in areas with more marginalized populations.
We still have some ways to go regarding Narcan access here in the Valley! Exposing these differences in Narcan availability gives us the hope that pharmacies will be better educated in the future and be proponents to ending drug overdose deaths.
Currently, I am an English and neuroscience double major, and this work has me contemplating adding a public health minor to the mix, if I can graduate on time. I personally chose this research after becoming a community trainer in Kevan Shah '22's End Overdose Together program and becoming enlightened to the drug overdose epidemic. After training in opioid overdose recognition and prevention, I became more interested in the availability of Narcan to the general public.
Seeing Narcan's value, I wanted to know what obstacles existed for access to it, especially for more at-risk populations in the Lehigh Valley. This work has allowed me to see just some of the barriers in our healthcare system that prevents people from getting the help or supplies they need, and in the future I would like to do structural or policy-based work advocating to break medication access barriers. Healthcare and access to medication like Narcan should be a right, not just a privilege to those that can afford it.
Last summer I conducted different research about contingency management with Dr. Rudski on Muhlenberg's campus, and this year has been much different since I have been working from home in Arizona. Covid-19 has been somewhat of an obstacle, especially when working in a different time zone than my co-investigators and the Pennsylvania pharmacies, but I have become especially good at converting from Mountain Standard Time to Eastern Standard Time! The spring semester was definitely more of a challenge when we were sent home and classes moved online because my 9:30am and 10am classes turned into 6:30am and 7am Arizona classes. I was rolling out of bed onto Zoom and it can be hard to interact in class when you're half asleep!
Other than the time difference and the 110-degree Arizona summer (it's a dry heat!), it has been nice to be home with my family. A welcome change has been that I am hitting with my amazing tennis coach out here and am working hard to improve my game and fitness for the spring! I am still hopeful that we will be back playing and can't wait to see 'Berg in February!
Although this summer is different from any in the past, that has not stopped Mule athletes from enjoying fantastic experiences. If you would like to tell the story of your summer, please fill out our Summer Check-In form!
Previous Summer Check-In stories:
Jill Lissner, women's track and field, biology research
Alexander Gardner, football, physics research
Zachary Cooper, men's lacrosse, U.S. Chamber of Commerce internship
Lindsay Press, women's track and field, physical therapy shadowing
Pat Smurla, men's cross country/track and field, information security intern at Nasdaq
Rebecca Shear, volleyball, memory research
Dominic Palumbo, football, political consulting firm internship
Trevor Virno, baseball, organized food drives
Lindsay Scott, women's soccer, genetics research
Alexander Giaquinto, men's lacrosse, cybersecurity internship
