The average Ohio University student may not consider prescription medication abuse or heroin addiction a problem in Athens or on campus. Still, a soon-to-be-available drug at Hudson Health Center will be there for those who need it most.
Within the next month, Hudson Health Center will have the medication naloxone — also known by its brand-name of Narcan — which can be administered to reverse an overdose caused by prescription opioids or heroin. Naloxone "blocks the effects of opioids on the brain and quickly restores breathing,” according to the Ohio Department of Health's website.
The Drugstore at OU is currently working through the procedure to be able to prescribe the medication to family or friends of an addict, without that patient having to see a doctor, Jenny Keller, a pharmacist at The Drugstore, said.
“We should have it by the end of the month,” Keller said. “It’s injectable, like an EpiPen – but Narcan.”
Tiffany Anderson, a sophomore studying computer engineering, said she sees a positive side to the availability of naloxone on campus, adding that she hopes it's "used responsibly."
“If someone does do drugs, and (they) overdose, you could possibly save their life,” Anderson said.
Dr. James Gaskell, Athens City-County health commissioner, said the availability of Narcan could be a reason for the decline in the yearly average of prescription drug overdoses in the county. Since fall 2014, Narcan kits have been offered by the health department. Gaskell said Athens County sees an average of 10 deaths per year due to overdose. The overdose count in 2015 was six.
The Athens City-County Health Department offers Narcan in a kit through the state-funded project DAWN, or "Deaths Avoided With Naloxone." Included in the kits are two needleless vials of Narcan, two face shields for rescue breaths, an informative DVD, a procedural chart and two nasal adapters. Each kit is $70.
“It’s completely safe,” Gaskell said. “The health community feels comfortable giving this drug to the public.”
Families and friends are exempt from the criminal consequences related to drug abuse or possession when asking for the kit or reporting an drug overdose, Gaskell said.
When administering the drug, those involved are still expected to call 911 in the event that the drug does not work.
“Our job is to save lives. The Athens County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio University Police Department and the Athens Police Department administer Narcan too,” Gaskell said. “If we reported it as a crime, we wouldn’t have many people come see us.”
