Download Saving Lives- A Case for Stocking Narcan in our School Health Offices

Saving LivesA Case for Stocking Narcan in our
School Health Offices
Presentation to School Committee
September 21, 2015
Lee Waingortin, BSN, RN, NCSN, CCM
Director of Nursing, Hudson Public Schools
Schools stock up on heroin overdose antidote
CBS, wtsp.com7:58 a.m. EDT September 14, 2015
Easton school nurses to carry overdose-reversing drug
NarcanThe Enterprise UPDATED 6:48 PM EDT Jul 15, 2015
Armed with Narcan, Pilgrim High nurse ready to save
lives
Warwick Beacon on line 9/8/15
Heroin epidemic puts pressure on schools to get antidote
Seattle times 9/11/15
THE OPIOID PROBLEM
Massachusetts Data:
The number of fatal opioid overdoses in rose from 526 in
2010 to 1008 in 2014
Massachusetts Dept of Pubic Health Data Brief: Fatal Opioid-related Overdoses among MA Residents,
April 2015
A Public Health State of Emergency was declared by then
Gov. Patrick-this allowed first responders (Police/Fire) to
carry and administer Narcan.
Local Community Data-ADD YOUR COMMUNITY
DATA HERE
Unintentional Deaths from Opioid Overdoses
Source: Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, MDPH 2014
WHAT ARE OPIOIDS?
•
Heroin and prescription medications such as codeine,
morphine, oxycodone and methadone
Medications that relieve pain
• Attach to the opioid receptors in the brain and
reduce the intensity of pain signals reaching the
brain
•
OPIOID OVERDOSE
An overdose occurs when there is too much
opioid in the system. Opioids Block receptors
that control breathing resulting in respiratory
failure, then cardiac failure, then death.
OPIOID OVERDOSE RISK FACTORS
• opioid dependence
• use of prescription opioids, in particular those
taking higher doses;
• Use of opioids in combination with other
sedating substances;
• household members of people in possession of
opioids (including prescription opioids).
World Health Organization-Information Sheet on Opioid
Overdose, 11/2014
NARCAN© (Naloxone)
According to the MDPH Pilot Project Core Competencies:
 Naloxone usually acts dramatically, allowing slowed or
absent breathing to resume.
 It is both safe and effective and has no potential for
abuse.
 Naloxone has been used by paramedics in ambulances
and by emergency room clinicians for decades.
 While not a controlled substance, naloxone is what is
known as a “scheduled” drug and therefore does require
a prescription.
HOW DOES NARCAN REVERSE AN
OVERDOSE?
• Narcan knocks the opioid off the receptors in the brain
and restores breathing.
• Narcan acts quickly-within 1-3 minutes- to reverse the
overdose.
• Narcan is the only effective medication to reverse an
opioid overdose
How does Narcan affect
overdose?
Death following opioid overdose is preventable if
the person receives basic life support and the
timely administration of the opioid antagonist
naloxone (WHO, 2014)
WHY STOCK NARCAN IN OUR SCHOOLS?
NARCAN:
does not create a high and therefore has no “street
value”.
does not have any major side effects
will only be administered only by trained school
nurses and trained substitute school nurses
 is administered via the nostrils-there is no needle
to be stuck by or concern about disposing.
ADD LOCAL RESOURCES HERE AND STAKE
HOLDERS THAT SUPPORT NARCAN IN SCHOOLS
Additional –ADD REASONS YOUR
COMMUNITY/SCHOOL DISTRICT SHOULD
SUPPORT NARCAN IN SCHOOLS
• Narcan, along with epiPens and AEDs, saves lives
• Number of Narcan prescriptions and administrations are
now included in MDPH ESHS grant school nurse data
collection
• According to DPH, at least 75 school districts have Narcan in
their school health offices.