Group seeks easier access to opiate overdose antidote
An organization that's been on the front lines of the fight against heroin and prescription painkiller overdoses has launched a fundraiser to get more overdose antidotes into the hands of the public.
The number of deaths caused by heroin and prescription painkiller overdoses has risen steadily in Minnesota and across the country in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said deaths from prescription painkillers — along with heroin, classified as opioids — constitute an epidemic.
The Steve Rummler Hope Foundation spearheaded the 2014 effort to expand access to naloxone, an opioid antidote, in Minnesota. But advocates have been frustrated by the challenge of getting the drug to those most at risk of an overdose.
In response, the foundation has launched a fundraising campaign that relies on everyday people to act as donors. It's regular people, foundation president Lexi Reed Holtum said, who are affected by the opioid epidemic.
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"Every single dollar counts, so we're really trying to let the public know that there are solutions," Reed Holtum said. "Part of that solution is being able to get naloxone into the hands of every citizen that's in a position to reverse an opioid overdose."
The most recent data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that opioids were a factor in at least 280 deaths in Minnesota in 2013.
Overdoses of opioids like heroin and prescription painkillers shut down a victim's respiratory system. Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, temporarily counteracts the effects of the opiates.
Among the benefits of spreading naloxone broadly is the fact that it doesn't have an effect on people who don't have opioids in their systems. It doesn't get people high, and it can't be abused.
The Rummler foundation has already raised more than $5,000 through the crowdfunding service Indiegogo. Organizers hope to raise $50,000 in less than a month, which Reed Holtum said will allow them distribute 2,000 naloxone kits across the state.
Even if they don't meet the goal, Reed Holtum said all funds raised will be used to purchase the antidote.
The foundation is including in its kits an automatic naloxone injector called Evzio, which instructs a user in real time about how to administer the drug.
"It's a device that is simple, easy to use. There is no needle," Reed Holtum said. "It is a device that anyone can use, anywhere, at any time."
The kit also includes gloves, breathing barriers for rescue breathing during an overdose and more detailed instructions on seeking treatment during and after an opioid overdose.
Reed Holtum said each kit costs the organization about $25, a price substantially lower than the retail cost for naloxone alone. The foundation also trains and makes available naloxone that is administered in a syringe form.
Other organizations have also been working to make naloxone more widely available. Valhalla Place Addiction and Mental Services collaborates with partners across the state to distribute the drug out of its offices during specific hours.