Faith Community Health has received a donation of 1000 vials of naloxone, which will be distributed throughout the community to loved ones of those misusing opioid medications or using illicit opioids. Often a family member or friend is the first one on the scene to find that an opioid user has overdosed and can use that opportunity to save a life.
The donated medications are valued at about $16,000, according to Dr. Heather Lyons-Burney who oversees the dispensary at Faith Community Health. “As a member of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, we have been able to get the medications, syringes and needles at no cost. California-based Direct Relief provides us with certain medical resources, such as the naloxone, free of charge,” she says.
Lyons-Burney, who also co-chairs the Taney County Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT), says, “This is the first time naloxone will be available to lay people in the area. First responders and emergency personnel have already been using naloxone for a year or so. We have not had access to this many naloxone kits for the community before.”
According to Matt Farmer, Director of Nursing Critical Care & Emergency Services at Cox Medical Center Branson, naloxone has the ability to reverse the lethal effects of an opioid overdose. “In our Cox Branson Emergency Department, naloxone is one of the first medications we reach for when we recognize the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose and it can save someone’s life,” Farmer says. “By providing community members with the training and medication to respond to opioid overdoses, it strengthens our commitment to public safety and health.”
Faith Community Health will not distribute the naloxone kits directly to the public. Instead Lyons-Burney says Faith Community Health has partnered with the Substance Use Initiative and ADAPT to assemble and distribute the naloxone kits. Community education to teach how to use the kits will be a part of the distribution process says Marietta Hagan, a member of both organizations. Hagan, who is the project coordinator for the Stone & Taney Counties Substance Use Initiative, will oversee the education component. “The partnership with Faith Community Health and Direct Relief has provided a valuable resource to our community,” says Hagan. “Saving a person’s life by reversing an opioid overdose allows that person another opportunity to seek treatment, which is the ultimate goal.”
An “Opioid Overdose and Naloxone Education” class for the general public will be held from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., March 7, in the Reeds Spring Elementary School Cafeteria. This free event will educate participants on the current opioid crisis and how to identify an opioid overdose. Participants will also learn how to administer naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal medication.
Several local community agencies will also share information on medication safety and other local resources. A light dinner, refreshments and a drawing for door prizes will be available. Walk-ins can come, but registration is preferred. To register or to obtain more information about other education opportunities, contact Marietta Hagan at 417-335-7333 or Marietta.Hagan@coxhealth.com.
About Faith Community Health
Faith Community Health is a charitable clinic providing comprehensive healthcare and in-house pharmacy services at affordable, income-based rates. Friends of Faith give back to their community to help meet the healthcare needs of the people we serve through their generous donations and volunteerism. #Hope4Health
About ADAPT
The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT) promotes the reduction of substance use and misuse in youth through awareness, education, and programs that benefit the entire community.
About SUI
The Stone and Taney Counties Substance Use Initiative (SUI) is a grant-funded project aimed at reducing and preventing substance use and misuse. It is led by CoxHealth and funded by a Skaggs Legacy Endowment grant.
Photo Caption: ADAPT Coalition members assemble naloxone kits to be used by loved ones to save the lives of opioid overdose victims. From left, around the back of table: Cris Bohinc, Katie Turck, Alaina Williams, Andy Hughes, Rachel Hudson Raeanne Presley and Sean Barnwell. Front, center: Chris Davis and Kara Miller. Right: Heather Lyons Burney and Sharon Perkins. Photo courtesy of Marietta Hagan.