Fentanyl overdoses in Montgomery County remain a thorny and dangerous problem. The fire department reports through the first two months of the year that they have responded to 98 suspected opioid overdoses where paramedics had to administer Naloxone. The police department reports at least 11 suspected opioid deaths during the same time period.
County Outreach
The County is continuing to do outreach to inform the community about the dangers of fentanyl and to provide information about the life-saving treatment Naloxone, also known as Narcan.
Doctors and first responders say Narcan is a life-saving medicine to counteract an opioid overdose. While health officials say training is not needed to administer Narcan, it is highly recommended people learn how to use the drug.
Narcan Training This Week
Several training events are planned for this upcoming week. The County Department of Health and Human Services will offer free Narcan training at the Universities of Shady Grove on Wednesday, April 26th from 3:00-4:00 PM. The event will take place on the third floor of Building 3.
Register for the training online here.
Another Narcan training will take place at Montgomery College’s Germantown campus on Thursday, April 27th. The event runs from 6:00-7:30 PM in Globe Hall.
Registration is required here.
The third Narcan training will happen at Magruder High School. The training is part of a Health and Wellness Fair that Montgomery County Public Schools is sponsoring on Saturday, April 29th. The health fair runs from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Narcan Availability
Narcan will soon become available over the counter. The Food and Drug Administration approved its use last month, and it is expected to hit store shelves this summer. However, the drug is expensive. The price is around $125 dollars for two doses. The maker of the Narcan nasal spray, Emergent, announced last Thursday it is working to lower the price. Emergent is trying to drop the cost to less than $50 for two doses. Some health professionals say that cost is still too high.
Overdose Response Program
Meantime, the state of Maryland began a program in 2014 to encourage groups whether they are businesses, organizations or schools to have people trained to administer Narcan. The state just relaxed one of its requirements for groups to have a medical professional on site to oversee the Overdose Response Program (ORP).
The Montgomery County Health and Human Services Department is hoping to expand the number of people who receive Narcan training.
“We want to encourage organizations serving people who might be dealing with a substance abuse disorder to get this life-saving tool,” said Ben Stevenson, Prevention and Harm Reduction Manager with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.
Stevenson said the County has helped Montgomery County Public Schools and the non-profit group, Tree of Hope Association, become ORPs.
“This means they can provide training and dispense Narcan while obtaining the drug directly from the state,” Stevenson said. When groups become ORPs, they can receive Narcan for free.
The County is currently working with the Latino Health Initiative to identify organizations within the Latino community to become ORPs. Groups interested in applying to become an ORP must complete 7 steps before they can qualify. The state can then approve the application.
More information on the Overdose Response Program is available.
