Overdoses can happen to anyone using opioids, even those prescribed by a doctor. That鈥檚 why RUSH is working to ensure anyone can have access to lifesaving Narcan at no cost, with no questions asked.
Through a partnership with the West Side Heroin/Opioid Task Force and the Cigna Ambassador Program, new 鈥淣arcan Newsstands鈥 can be found in two locations at RUSH University Medical Center, including the and the lobby.
Each newsstand holds up to 100 boxes of Narcan kits, free to anyone who wants to keep one on hand. RUSH will continue to stock the newsstands with Narcan, provided through a grant from the Illinois Department of Human 脱衣直播 Drug Overdose Prevention Program.
The initiative has been an immediate success, with over 500 Narcan kits given out within the newstands鈥 first two weeks on the campus.
鈥淢y hope is that RUSH plays its part to get Narcan into the homes, backpacks and purses of the people living in and around Chicago,鈥 said , a pharmacist and clinical pharmacy manager assisting with the initiative. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time our community starts to see Narcan as something as critical as having an automated external defibrillator or CPR training. Let鈥檚 save lives first and ask questions later.鈥
A push to make Narcan more accessible
The latest survey from the Chicago Department of Public Health for the first six months of 2021.
Fortunately, opioid overdoses can be rapidly reversed with opioid blockers like Narcan. And anyone can use Narcan, even without prior medical training or authorization.
, PhD, is director of RUSH鈥檚 Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction and a member of the Heroin Task Force. She saw the newsstands as an opportunity to to increase access to Narcan, especially in areas on the West and South sides with a disproportionate number of overdoses.
鈥淩USH is a part of the solution to the opioid epidemic we鈥檙e seeing in Chicago,鈥 Napier said. 鈥淥ur campus is serving as a convenient location to make Narcan more accessible. Reversing overdose saves lives and provides an opportunity for the individual to get long-term treatment for the opioid use disorder.鈥
RUSH set up its DOPP five years ago as a way to distribute Narcan directly to patients without a prescription, and have been giving out and training patients on how to use Narcan ever since.
鈥淭he great thing about the newsstand program is that anyone can now get Narcan at RUSH 鈥 visitors, families, staff and students can all take kits and arm themselves with the lifesaving medication,鈥 said , MD, the director of RUSH鈥檚 Substance Use Intervention Team.
How to use Narcan
Now that Narcan is and is free at the RUSH newsstand locations, it鈥檚 important to learn how and when to administer the treatment. Narcan is a nasal spray, so it is and won鈥檛 harm a person if it鈥檚 administered to someone who doesn鈥檛 need it. Treatment instructions are available at each newsstand.
RUSH also offers free courses to teach lifesaving skills 鈥 including how to use Narcan 鈥 at any location within Chicago. The hourlong course can be taught in Spanish and can be tailored to the needs of a group or community.