Naloxone: Overdose Antidote
ACTION TEAM:
Naloxone: Overdose Antidote
Naloxone (Narcan™) is a powerful medication that works to reverse an opioid-related overdose. Because of its effectiveness and life-saving potential, the Naloxone Action Team is focused on expanding distribution locations and educational opportunities within the County, working with law enforcement, health agency officials, school districts, physicians, and community members to expand its use.
Katie Grainger, MPP | Drug & Alcohol Services | kgrainger@co.slo.ca.us
SMART Goals
1) Increase the number of Trained Overdose Prevention Educators by 10 persons from 5 different agencies/companies/settings by October 1, 2016. This will be completed through continued outreach to agencies/companies/settings by the Lead Overdose Prevention Educator, Katie Grainger. The number of Trained Overdose Prevention Educators will be maintained and tracked. Having trained staff will make it beneficial to train at-risk clients at each various agency, as well as assessing people at the intake processes. (a) Follow up trainings most needed would be at the jail and Juvenile Hall since accidental overdose is the leading cause of death post release; (b) Trainings can also happen at pain prescribing physician clinics, community clinics, high school medical clinic sites, nonprofits, law enforcement organizations, schools, etc.
2) Establish 3 Pharmacists in San Luis Obispo County (1 South County, 1 San Luis Obispo, 1 Paso Robles) that are trained in educating customers in the use of Naloxone and will write customers the prescription by October 1, 2016. The number of Pharmacists that are OPE’s will be maintained and tracked.
3) Create an educational brochure about Naloxone for wide distribution and have this brochure available in 10 agencies/companies/schools/healthcare settings by January 1, 2017. Some examples are: ER, Primary Care Physicians, Pain Doctors, Law Enforcement, and Probation for Intake appointments. This will be completed by Naloxone Action Team providing feedback on draft brochure by April 19, 2016 (completed), and Action Team members will participate in distributing this to various community locations where they have input/networking connections. The usability of the brochure will be tracked by measuring how many brochures are distributed (per site) and requests for additional printings (per site). This brochure should include information on what Naloxone is, where to get it, signs and symptoms of an overdose, cost of Naloxone, and referrals to places such as methadone clinics, treatment, syringe exchange and more.
4) Create a press release for the general public to provide education about Naloxone. The press release will contain a local story about the successful use of Naloxone. The press release will be covered by 3-5 different media sources by January 1, 2017, such as television news, radio, public health websites, social media, etc. This media campaign will be tracked by number of times the story/information is shared in a media source.
Accomplishments
1) Since January 2016, 8 Overdose Prevention Educators have been trained: 7 from Drug & Alcohol Services Outpatient and Jail Services, and one staff member from a community based organization.
2) Three CVS Pharmacists (1 in San Luis Obispo, 1 in Arroyo Grande, 1 in Nipomo) have completed the necessary training to prescribe Naloxone directly to customers.
3) From January to April 2016, 15 Naloxone presentations have occurred with 165 total attendees and 80 attendees that requested a prescription for Naloxone.
4) Collaborate with the MAT Action Team to develop a MAT/Naloxone Postcard (PDF here)