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Gov. Wolf announces 60,000 additional Naloxone kits available for first responders statewide

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Today, Governor Tom Wolf and first responders gathered in Homewood at Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Station #17 to thank first responders an...
naloxone

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Today, Governor Tom Wolf and first responders gathered in Homewood at Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Station #17 to thank first responders and announce the increased availability of live-saving Naloxone to first responders and law enforcement across the state. The funding, available through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, is being used to purchase approximately 60,000 Naloxone kits.

“Naloxone is an incredibly important and lifesaving tool because we cannot get our loved ones, our neighbors, the members of our communities the treatment they need if they die from an overdose of prescription opioids or heroin,” Gov. Wolf said. “Every day, our first responders are saving the lives of Pennsylvanians by administering naloxone and reversing deadly overdoses.

“Those first responders have already reversed over 3,900 opioid overdoses since 2014. We need to support them in this effort and that’s why this funding from my 2017-18 budget is so critical.”

“The range of first responders eligible for naloxone use is much broader than those folks we commonly think of as first responders, such as law enforcement and firemen,” PCCD Chairman Charles Ramsey said. “Individuals who find themselves in positions of being the first person able to respond to an overdose — such as librarians, public transit drivers, and drug treatment providers — are also eligible for the naloxone made available through this state funding.”

Naloxone Nasal Spray is needle-free and does not require assembly. It’s designed for ease of use for nonmedical personnel. Each kit includes two, 4-milligram doses and will be available to all 67 counties over a two-year period using $5 million in state funding. The kits are supplied by Adapt Pharma.

Source: Governor’s Office of Communications

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