INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County Public Health Department and Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services are going to collaborate on a new program designed to increase community access to naloxone, an overdose reversal medication better known by its brand name, Narcan.
According to a press release, the program has been dubbed Naloxone Leave Behind Project: Saving Lives in Indianapolis.
The ultimate goal of the project, per MCPHD, is to reduce overdose deaths in Marion County. IEMS will be the organization primarily responsible for helping MCPHD distribute naloxone.
Per a release, IEMS ambulances and response vehicles will now be equipped with naloxone kits. The kits will be considered separate from the supply of naloxone all ambulances already have on board.
MCPHD indicated the kits will be distributed by first responders who are dispatched to suspected overdose incidents. After the patients they've been called to assist have been stabilized with IEMS' regular supply of naloxone, the extra kits will be distributed to the patient's family and friends and even bystanders who witnessed the incident.
Per MCPHD, about 62% of the suspected overdose deaths that were reported during the first quarter of 2024 in Marion County occurred in private residences. The health department also reported that individuals who survive potentially fatal overdoses are at a much higher risk of experiencing a fatal overdose in the future.
“While nearly all age groups are affected by overdose deaths, a report from the Marion County Coroner’s Office for 2023 shows that the highest percentage of overdose deaths in the county, 26%, was in the 40-49 age group,” said Virginia A. Caine, M.D., director and chief medical officer of MCPHD. “Through this critical partnership, the Naloxone Leave Behind Project seeks to connect people who use drugs with local resources and provide their support network with a tool to use in case of a future overdose.”
MCPHD's Nalaxone kits will include the following items:
- Two doses of intranasal naloxone
- Resource card with a QR code that directs scanner to resource webpage and phone support that is available by dialing 211
- Information on Overdose Lifeline's CHARIOT program and directions on how to get text alerts for urgent changes in the local drug supply
- Educational materials on recognizing an overdose and administering naloxone
The FDA approved Narcan for over-the-counter sale in March 2023. The medication is now available for purchase at chain drug stores like Walgreens and CVS.
“Indianapolis EMS stands among those who work on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic in our community, where seconds can mean the difference between life and death,” said Daniel O’Donnell, M.D., chief of Indianapolis EMS. “Increased access to naloxone can greatly increase survival chances in overdose situations, which can lead to more people seeking treatment to break the hold that addiction has on so many. We are happy to continue our partnership with the Marion County Public Health Department and Overdose Lifeline to facilitate getting this lifesaving drug into the hands of those who need it the most.”
More information on the Naloxone Leave Behind Project is available here.