LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Saving a life one spray at a time.
UNLV is giving freely free doses of Narcan or Naloxone, a life-saving medicine that reverses the consequences of an opioid overdose or dying.
Kathy Underwood is a nurse practitioner and the chief director of the UNLV Pupil Wellness Middle.
“We realize that opioid deaths and overdoses and emergencies can happen anywhere at any time,” stated Underwood. “Opioids include everything from prescription pain medication, but can also be found in recreational substances and sometimes fentanyl is an opioid and can be added to a recreational drug or substance that someone may not that it’s in there or taking it.”
The pharmacy additionally gives Narcan coaching, so anybody can safely use it.
“It’s a box of two doses. It’s a nasal spray, so there’s no injection; you don’t have to worry about needles,” defined Underwood. ” It’s very easy to use and if you come upon someone or someone is unresponsive and you think they may have had an opioid, you can take the little device out of the box and put it in one side of the nose and push one spray and that will help reverse some of effects of an opioid emergency and always call 911 too, but you can repeat that on the other side if you need to every 2 to 3 minutes.”
College and college students can choose up the free Narcan within the pharmacy positioned on the Pupil Recreation and Wellness Middle. All college students should do is present their Insurgent ID card.
Pupil John Fabe stated he picked up a field of Narcan after seeing flyers round campus.
“Already have family who uses pain medication very responsibly, but it’s always nice to have Narcan just in case,” acknowledged Fabe. ” It’s nice to have, helps with safety mainly, and it’s always good to have something that can save a life. You never know when you can use it.”
Underwood says by offering the free Narcan, she hopes this can break down monetary boundaries, urging college students to be secure.
“That’s one of the things that’s really important to remove any stigma, whether it’s regarding drug use, whether it’s regarding mental health. We are here,” added Underwood.
Along with the Narcan, UNLV can be giving freely fentanyl check strips as effectively.
