(Credit: PRNewsFhoto/Adapt Pharma)
Adapt Pharma expands free Narcan nasal spray program to U.S. colleges and universities.
Adapt Pharma, Limited announced Monday that it will donate 20,000 cartons (40,000 doses) of Narcan (naloxone hydrochloride) nasal spray 4mg to colleges and universities throughout the United States. Narcan nasal spray is indicated for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose, as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression.
With the number of deaths due to drug overdose in the United States surpassing those from firearms and motor vehicle accidents each year since 20091, and opioid-related overdoses at an all-time high, reaching 33,091 in 20152, the need for expanded awareness, education and access to naloxone is more apparent than ever, according to the company.
Narcan nasal spray is not a substitute for emergency medical care, and repeat applications may be necessary.
This new program, which was jointly announced by Adapt Pharma and President Bill Clinton at the sixth annual Clinton Health Matters Activation Summit in Little Rock, AR, is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI) and Adapt Pharma. As of today, all Title IV-eligible, degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States can apply to receive up to four free cartons (eight 4mg doses) of Narcan nasal spray at www.narcan.com/partnerships.
The program builds upon the Free Narcan Nasal Spray for High Schools Program, which has distributed approximately 3,300 free doses of Narcan nasal spray to high schools in 33 states.
The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) developed Naloxone in Schools Toolkit which is a non-branded educational program created to increase awareness of opioid-related risks among students, educators, families and communities as well as to provide proper opioid overdose protocols. The school nurse is a leader in student health and has the education and expertise to assist the community and school leadership with a needs assessment for opioid-related risk reduction policies.
“The success of the Free Narcan Nasal Spray for High Schools Program demonstrates the important role academic institutions can play in educating students about opioid misuse and keeping them safe in the face of the current opioid epidemic,” said Seamus Mulligan, Chairman and CEO of Adapt Pharma. “Expanding this program to U.S. colleges and universities will continue this education as well as expand access to this potentially life-saving tool.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 90 Americans die every day from opioid overdoses.3 Now, all institutions of higher learning have the ability to help prevent overdoses from occurring on their campuses.
“Colleges and universities are no exception to the opioid and prescription drug epidemic that’s been devastating communities throughout the nation,” said Gillian Sealy, CEO of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative. “The Clinton Health Matters Initiative brings people together to tackle the most urgent health issues facing Americans today, and we believe that expanding our partnership with Adapt Pharma to help put an end to this epidemic is an important step.”
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References:
1 2015 National Drug Threat Assessment Summary. U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement. https://www.dea.gov/docs/2015%20NDTA%20Report.pdf
2 Rudd RA, Seth P, David F, Scholl L. Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths — United States, 2010–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:1445–1452
3 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Drug overdose deaths in the United States continue to increase in 2015.” Retrieved from: www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/
(Source: PR Newswire)
