This City is Making Naloxone Accessible to All of Its Residents
Katherine Pendrill — May 11, 2016 — Lifestyle
References: dontdie.org & fastcoexist
In an effort to combat its current opioid drug epidemic, the city of Baltimore working towards giving all of its residents access to an overdose antidote called naloxone. Although naloxone is a simple and safe way to instantly reverse the effects of an overdose, the drug is hard for many people to access. This initiative aims to make the drug more widely available so that fewer people die as a result of an overdose.
The new initiative is being spearheaded by Baltimore Health Commissioner Leana Wen. While the drug is already available at local pharmacies to those who complete a short training session, Wen aims to ensure that naloxone is in the first aid kit of every home in the city. While the idea of making the overdose antidote accessible to every resident may seem extreme, there are nearly 20,000 heroin users in Baltimore that could need naloxone at some point.
With many cities facing similar drug problems, the initiative could prove to be an effective way of dealing with overdoses.
The new initiative is being spearheaded by Baltimore Health Commissioner Leana Wen. While the drug is already available at local pharmacies to those who complete a short training session, Wen aims to ensure that naloxone is in the first aid kit of every home in the city. While the idea of making the overdose antidote accessible to every resident may seem extreme, there are nearly 20,000 heroin users in Baltimore that could need naloxone at some point.
With many cities facing similar drug problems, the initiative could prove to be an effective way of dealing with overdoses.
Trend Themes
1. Widespread Naloxone Access - Initiatives to make naloxone accessible to all residents of cities experiencing opioid drug epidemics could prove to be an effective way of dealing with overdoses.
2. Community Health Measures - Efforts by health officials to increase access to interventions such as naloxone could inspire further initiatives aimed at improving public health.
3. Public-private Partnerships - Public and private sectors could work together to fund access to naloxone and interventions like it to reduce the number of opioid overdoses.
Industry Implications
1. Pharmaceuticals - Pharmaceutical companies could invest in and distribute naloxone to communities affected by opioid drug epidemics.
2. Healthcare - Increased access to naloxone could inspire healthcare facilities to develop new programs for the treatment of opioid addiction and overdose.
3. Public Service - Governments and healthcare organizations could collaborate to provide naloxone to communities affected by opioid drug epidemics, potentially reducing the incidence of overdose deaths.
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