News

First responders to carry overdose antidote

By Bill Moss, Published: January 5, 2015

Since their daughter Anna died of a drug overdose on March 6, 2010, Julie and Don Huneycutt have been warriors in the fight against drug abuse and for prevention and rehabilitation efforts.

They formed Anna's Hope, channeling their grief for good and sharing their commitment to helping save other young people who become addicted to narcotics. One ray of hope for those who overdose is a drug called Narcan, which can reverse the effects and save their lives. The drug is about to be more widely available for use by first responders in Henderson County.
Last month, the medical director for Henderson County's Emergency Medical Services received word that state regulators had approved the use of Narcan (also called Naloxone) by law enforcement officers. EMTs with the county's volunteer fire and rescue squads are receiving training on the use of Naloxone next week.
"I think it would be impactful," Huneycutt said of the drug's availability. "It's an opiate reversal, kind of like an epi-pen. Narcan is an injection that kind of brings the person back."
Huneycutt serves as director of HopeRx, a coalition of health care providers, counselors and law enforcement officials devoted to raise public awareness about prescription drug abuse and promoting prevention and treatment.

'A loaded gun'

According to Hope Rx and state public health statistics, Henderson County in a 10-year period saw 164 deaths from "unintentional poisonings" — 90 percent of which were attributed to overdoses of illegal or legal drugs. When Hope Rx was formed in late 2013, Henderson County Sheriff Charlie McDonald compared opiates and other prescription drugs in a family's medicine cabinet to "a loaded gun." The sheriff's office says up to three to four deaths per month are attributed to overdose. First responders treat seven to 10 overdoses a week, the department says, and up to 85 percent of all crime in the county is linked to substance abuse. Narcan could save some of the victims, some of whom use drugs recreationally and some of whom accidentally take too much.
"It is a very timely and needed drug," Huneycutt said. "I think we're seeing more and more overdoses and the opportunity to save a life is greatly impacted by having this drug available for all the first responders."
Although the state EMS medical director approved only intra-nasal use of Narcan, firefighters and emergency personnel say the drug can be a life saver.
"We are trained on it and we do administer it," said Rick Livingston, chief of the Mills River Fire and Rescue Department. "That's something we just took on in the past two or three months. Basically it reverses the effects (of an overdose). There are some drugs that it's effective on, there's others that it's not."
One reason Narcan is becoming more widespread is that it carries little risk.
"It doesn't do any harm," Livingston said. "If there's any question we would go ahead and give it because it's not going to have any adverse effects. It is absolutely a new treatment.
"The downside from a fire department or an EMT standpoint is that when we administer it, if they react favorably (and come to) they often become violent and that's a concern. We want to have a sufficient number of EMTs or fire personnel on the scene when we do and if at all possible we would like to have law enforcement with us because in many cases you're having to restrain the patient when we do administer this drug."

Training offered

The state approval for use of Narcan by first responders requires training and continuing education.
"That's something they are in the process of adopting at the EMT level," county EMS Director Mike Barnett said. "Fire departments are in the process now of getting their education for that medication."
The Hendersonville Fire Department is offering training for the administration of Narcan Jan. 7-9 at the new Sugarloaf city fire station.
"During this training Julie Huneycutt will speak to the personnel about her family's personal loss from drug addiction and her work with HopeRx and their efforts to educate the community about the prescription drug abuse problem that exists," Glen Gillette, the fire department's EMT coordinator, said in an email.
Huneycutt said when Gillette asked if she could be there to speak all three days, she jumped at the chance.
"I told him whatever it takes I will gladly to be there to make sure they understand why it's important," she said. "I think my experience will give them some sensitivity training in what this means for a family."