Phoenix Public Libraries to Provide Naloxone Kits to Combat Opioid Overdoses

All Phoenix public libraries will have free Naloxone kits available as part of a city-wide program to help decrease fentanyl and opioid overdoses. 

Naloxone, branded as Narcan, is a fast-acting medication that can reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. In 2022, 991 people died of an overdose in Phoenix, accounting for more than half of all overdose deaths in Maricopa County, according to an Aug. 14 news release. 

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Pennsylvania’s Sent Out More than 1 Million Doses of Anti-Overdose Drug

The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs announced a major milestone in its push against opioid overdose deaths: More than 1.3 million doses of naloxone, an overdose-reversal drug, have been sent out to first responders.

The program to provide naloxone to first responders has been active since 2017; almost 500,000 doses have been provided in the last two years.

The result has been more than 24,000 opioid overdose reversals, according to a press release.

“Naloxone saves lives. That is why access to and distribution of this opioid overdose reversal medication is so critical,” DDAP Acting Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones said. “We are proud to work with our state and local partners every day to keep Pennsylvanians alive and decrease the chances of a fatal overdose. The Shapiro Administration is committed to making naloxone readily available.”

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Nation’s Second-Largest School District Stocks Overdose Reversal Drugs After Student Deaths

The second-largest school district in the country is stocking its schools with naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal drug, following student deaths, according to a Thursday news release.

In the recent weeks, nine students have died from overdoses in the Los Angeles Unified School District, with one student overdosing in the bathroom after obtaining a pill containing fentanyl from a peer, according to the Los Angeles Times. Every school in the district, beginning with elementary schools, will be stocked with the nasal spray version of naloxone, or Narcan, according to news release by the school.

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Judge Allows Antitrust Litigation Against Indivior to Go Forward

A federal court in Pennsylvania ruled that an antitrust lawsuit from 42 states against the Chesterfield, Virginia-based manufacturer of Suboxone can go forward, a “major victory” according to an announcement from Attorney General Jason Miyares.

“The intentional implementation of an illegal ‘product hopping’ scheme to block or delay generic versions of a medication used to help individuals recover from opioid addiction is a despicable exploitation of the opioid epidemic. The decisions made by Indivior Inc. caused purchasers to pay artificially high prices for a leading opioid addiction treatment, making access to recovery more difficult for Virginians while putting more money into the pockets of the manufacturers amid a national opioid crisis,” Miyares’ release states.

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