Administration of Naloxone (Narcan)

Administration of Naloxone (Narcan)

  1. Rates of death from drug intoxication or a drug overdose have risen dramatically in the United States. Opioid overdose kills thousands of Americans every year. College students are a high-risk population for drug misuse and combination drug use. Opioids are present in the majority of drug overdoses. Opioids cause death by inducing fatal respiratory depression which can easily be reversed by administering an opioid such as naloxone. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist (blocker) which rapidly counteracts the effects of opioids and has saved countless lives. Naloxone is not a controlled substance.
  2. The utilization and administration of naloxone by trained College employees has a goal of reducing campus fatalities from opioid-related overdoses and exposures.
  3. Overdose response training is required for College employees who may be called upon to serve as overdose responders in order to ensure that they can identify common symptoms of an opioid overdose and administer Narcan nasal spray. Narcan will be administered by a trained NCC Public Safety Officer or by NCC Nursing staff when there is reasonable belief that a person is suffering from an opioid overdose.
  4. The College shall develop procedures for administration of Narcan, which will be updated as needed in order to ensure that all current guidelines and health and safety practices are adhered to.

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