LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — In honor of Overdose Awareness Day, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is launching a new program with emergency medical services (EMS) providers to further prevent opioid overdose deaths.
EMS providers will give overdose survivors extra naloxone kits, the medication that reverses opioid overdoses.
In 2018, overdoses killed 2,599 Michigan citizens. Nearly 80 percent of those deaths involved opioids. Overdose Awareness Day memorializes the individuals whose lives have been lost to an overdose, and marks an occasion to offer support to the family, friends and communities impacted by this epidemic.
The observance provides a call to action for continued steps to address the opioid crisis.
“Far too many Michiganders die from opioid overdoses and tragically the opioid crisis has only gotten worse during the pandemic,” MDHHS director Robert Gordon said in a statement. “That’s why MDHHS is proud to work with the state’s EMS providers to give Michigan families another resource to prevent overdose deaths. It is more urgent than ever that we take decisive action to prevent overdose deaths and dismantle the stigma around addiction.”
Opioid overdose is a preventable cause of death. Officials say citizens can take steps to prevent overdose deaths by carrying naloxone; offering support to family and friends who use substances; and ending the stigma that surrounds substance use disorders.
Overdoses have surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. MDHHS data shows that EMS responses for opioid overdose increased by 33 percent from April to May 2020, and still remain elevated. From April through July 2020, EMS responses for opioid overdose were 22 percent higher than the same period last year.
The EMS Naloxone Leave Behind Program is meant to address these needs and get naloxone into the hands of people who need it most. This program will allow first responders to leave behind extra naloxone kits with the patient, family and friends or bystanders at the scene of a non-fatal overdose.
Survivors are at high risk for repeated overdoses, so providing naloxone to these individuals and their loved ones is particularly important. Each kit will include naloxone and instructions on overdose response.
“Michigan’s EMS providers are standing by 24/7 to treat medical emergencies including helping prevent overdose deaths,” said Jack Fisher, Michigan Association of Ambulance Services (MAAS) president and executive director of Medic 1 Ambulance in Berrien County. “We look forward to having this extra resource to combat the serious overdose problem in our state, but still urge Michiganders to call 911 in all emergencies, even if naloxone has already been administered.”
Going forward, local jurisdictions will determine whether to adopt the new leave-behind program. MDHHS has developed protocols for the program – local EMS governing boards, called Medical Control Authorities, will determine whether to adopt the program in each local jurisdiction.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of EMS-treated overdose patients that have declined transport to an emergency department. Officials add that this indicates EMS staff may be the only healthcare providers many individuals interact with following an overdose and underscores the urgency of this new naloxone leave behind program.
For more information about overdoses and resources for prevention and treatment, visit Michigan.gov/opioids.
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