Overdose affects individuals, families, and communities, and preventing it remains an important part of the Indian Health Service’s mission. Each person’s path to treatment and recovery is different, and each of us has a role in helping connect people with the care they need.
International Overdose Awareness Day, observed each year on August 31, is an opportunity to take a collective moment to remember those that we have lost to overdose, walk together in the shared grief of those left behind, and commit to working together to end overdose and related impacts. This year’s theme centers on the need to honor the past while moving forward with purposeful action. What can each of us do to help prevent overdose in our communities?
Expanding Access to Naloxone
Since 2015, the Indian Health Service (IHS) has worked to expand access to naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication. IHS employees are required to complete annual training on naloxone and its administration. Several toolkits have been developed to increase access to naloxone for key populations, including students, law enforcement officers, and patients taking long-term opioid therapies. IHS has also developed a Naloxone Safety Net program for IHS, Tribal, and urban Indian organizations that promotes low-barrier access to naloxone. Complete overdose response training and consider carrying naloxone, so you are prepared to respond when an overdose occurs.
The IHS is committed to promoting safe drug storage in the home. Locking medication bottles provide an added layer of protection by helping prevent unintended access, especially by children, vulnerable individuals, or pets. Locking pill bottles are a low-barrier way to store medications and harmful substances. The IHS has recently released a pilot project to expand access to these simple tools. Committing to safe storage of medications or supporting another with accessing these storage vials is a simple way to keep medications safe. If you interact with a pharmacy, whether as an administrator, pharmacy staff member, community health worker, or patient, you could help raise awareness about locking pill bottles and opportunities to make them available in your community.
Knowing when and how to get help is an important step in preventing overdose death. The physical and psychological signs of a drug overdose can vary depending on the type of drug taken and whether the drug was taken in combination with other substances. If you or a loved one is concerned about substance use disorder, please contact your provider or access the SAMHSA treatment locator.
If you are in a direct care setting or working around others, you may encounter people in recovery from substance abuse, and it is important to provide them with a supportive recovery environment. The Indian Health Service is available to provide technical assistance, training, and resources for health systems wanting to improve screening for substance use disorder and expand access to medications for opioid use disorder.
Each of us can make a difference. Whether you complete overdose response training, carry naloxone, practice and promote safe medication storage, help connect someone to treatment, or support a person in recovery, you can play a role in preventing overdose and supporting healthier communities.
For more information, please visit: https://www.overdoseday.com/campaign-resources/
