Free Naloxone Distributions Being Held

Provided by the County of Bucks:

Free doses of the overdose-reversal medication naloxone will be available for distribution at three Bucks County locations on successive Wednesdays: September 18 and September 25.

The distributions are part of a statewide initiative through the Pennsylvania Department of Health in which naloxone will be given out at 95 locations throughout the commonwealth to any Pennsylvanian who wants it. The effort is aimed at reducing the number of opioid overdose deaths and getting residents into treatment.

“The life-saving medication naloxone is essential for every resident to have on hand, particularly if you have a loved one suffering from opioid use disorder,” Gov. Tom Wolf said. “We want to ensure that all Pennsylvanians have the proper tools to help fight this opioid crisis … Keeping naloxone in your home, work or even in your car can make the difference between someone getting into treatment or dying from this disease.”

The free distributions are being held primarily at state health centers, county and municipal health departments and other public facilities. In Bucks County, they will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on September 18, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on September 25 at these locations:

• Bucks County Free Library, Quakertown Branch, 401 West Mill Street, Quakertown
• Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc., 600 Louis Drive, Suite 102A, Warminster
• Southern Bucks Recovery Community Center, 1286 Veterans Highway, D-6, Bristol Township

In Bucks County, 214 people died from drug overdoses in 2018, a 7 percent decrease from 2017.  Naloxone, commonly marketed under the brand name Narcan, saves lives by reversing the effects of opioids on the brain and respiratory system.

“September is National Recovery Month, and the theme is Together We are Stronger,” said Diane Rosati, executive director of the Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc. “We recognize that we must approach the issue of opiate use disorders in a comprehensive way, including prevention, treatment and recovery supports. At the Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc., we encourage residents to obtain naloxone at one of our three sites throughout Bucks County. Please help to save a life – which could be the first step toward a journey of recovery.”

Across Pennsylvania, where more than 4,400 people died from drug overdoses last year, more than 25,000 people have been revived with naloxone by police officers and EMS providers over the past five years.

“We are at a critical crossroads in combating the opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania,” said Jen Smith, secretary of the state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. “We have a choice to accept overdoses and the disease of addiction as the new normal or to fight back. I choose to fight. We simply cannot get an individual the help they desperately need following an overdose if they are dead. I hope that all Pennsylvanians use the naloxone distribution days to proactively take action to save our loved ones.”

The free distributions will continue throughout the posted hours, for as long as supplies last. For those who are unable to participate, naloxone is carried by most pharmacies, and is available to many with public and private insurance at pharmacies either for free or at a low cost.

For more information about local resources, please contact the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, Inc., at 215-773-9313 or visit www.bcdac.org