Louisville City Wire

Louisville Metro Emergency Medical Services (LMEMS) today announced the agency is participating in a Naloxone Leave Behind program funded by the National Institutes of Health. The program allows LMEMS providers who respond to opioid overdoses to leave behind naloxone nasal spray, as many know as Narcan, that can be used in the future by the at-risk person, family member or friends, to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

“As first responders, our EMTs and paramedics are in the position to immediately administer naloxone to save a life, and through this program, we are able to educate people who are at risk and give them and their support system the resources to save lives beyond the patient care given at the moment of an overdose,” said Chief Jesse Yarbrough, Louisville Metro Emergency Medical Services.

Here’s how the program works:

In the event a patient overdoses or is under the influence of an opioid, LMEMS personnel will immediately treat the patient per LMEMS protocol. After treatment, a pre-packaged naloxone kit will be offered to the patient, friend, or family member. The kit contains:

• Naloxone 4 mg/0.1 nasal spray
• Instructions on when and how to administer the medication
• Contact information/brochures on additional resources that may help the patient

A kit will be distributed on calls for service where an overdose is indicated by the person who calls 911. LMEMS will not delay treatment or transport for the sake of providing a kit and training.

Today’s announcement is an additional harm reduction measure Louisville Metro Government is taking to prevent overdose deaths. Efforts also include installing vending machines at Louisville Metro Department of Corrections filled with free naloxone and Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness’ Medication Oriented Recovery and Enhancement (MORE) program that helps people with opioid use disorder housed at the jail and in the home incarceration program by providing medication treatment and counseling. The city is set to receive more than $57 million in opioid settlement funds, and earlier this year, Mayor Craig Greenberg announced a spending plan for the first installment of $7 million of those funds and appointed an advisory board to oversee the distribution of the funds.

Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness (LMPHW) also offers treatment and recovery resources along with listings of locations and services available (free fentanyl test strips, HIV testing, wound care). Anyone in the community can pick up a free naloxone kit at LMPHW, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. or by calling 502-574-8800.

The University of Kentucky’s HEALing Communities Study offers two training videos below:

How to Use Naloxone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF-iZUkkdt0

Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6u1b4zULo8

Original source can be found here.