North Texas offers training to help fight fentanyl

The number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl in north texas on the risehealth professionals are urging parents, educators and even teenagers to learn how to properly administer naloxone or narcan.

“You never know if you’ll be there at the right time to save someone’s life,” Dr. Teresa Wagner, Interim Director of SaferCare Texas.

The FDA is also considering making narcan an over-the-counter drug and Gov. Greg Abbott’s launch of the “One Pill Kills” campaign also spurring more education.

“We know that if it is available without a prescription, everyone will need to know how to use it,” Wagner said. “Many overdoses are accidental.”

Tuesday’s event was made possible with the support of the UT Health Sciences Center in San Antonio. The San Antonio-based program is state-funded and distributes naloxone to organizations and individuals in Texas who apply online.

“In fact, there is a shortage of Narcan in the state and across the country. Thus, we were able to secure a small amount for today’s event,” said Wagner.

Through proper training, SaferCare Texas aims to eliminate the preventable harms of fentanyl overdose.

“With the influx of fentanyl and other opioids crossing the border, and more affordable amounts of fentanyl that are only available in our society today, we are seeing increased use of narcan or naloxone,” Wagner said.

According to Dr. John Mills, Chief Physician of the Correctional Medicine Program at the UNT Health Sciences Center, the first step is to assess the symptoms of the patient and their environment.

The main symptoms of a fentanyl overdose include dizziness, confusion, body weakness, drowsiness, hypoventilation, and nails and lips may turn blue.

“Once you assume they’ve overdosed on opioids, you try to put them on the ground with their heads tilted back gently,” Mills said. “As with any nasal spray, you know, squeeze the plunger and then re-examine the patient. If it’s an opioid overdose, they should start waking up.”

The next step is to turn the patient onto their left side in case they vomit, call 911 and continue monitoring the person.

“Sometimes more than one dose is needed. There are usually two doses in Narcan boxes, so you can repeat the dose in 2-3 minutes,” Mills said.

According to Mills, even if it turns out that the person did not suffer from an opioid overdose, Narcan will not harm him.

Individuals can fill out the form here to place an order for Narcan Nasal Spray. Here. Two doses of Narcan nasal spray will be delivered to the person’s home.

Organizations can Click here request Narcan.