WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — Williamson County is making a life-saving drug more available in its county buildings.
Each building will have Narcan accessible through automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The drug, which helps reverse opioid overdoses, will be available through a nasal spray instead of a needle.
“We want Narcan to be more accessible to the public, so we started with our own public government buildings. We thought that government buildings might be a place where people think to go to for help,” said Amy Jarosek, lead for the Community Health Paramedic program.
The county buildings are being supplied with Narcan through a program initiated by Williamson County's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Community Health Paramedics. Williamson County's EMS partnered with Bluebonnet Trails Community Services who are supplying the drug through a grant.
“This lifesaving partnership with EMS ensures help is available at the time it is most needed. The follow-up care enhances support for persons seeking recovery by connecting them with information and resources,” said Andrea Richardson, CEO for Bluebonnet Trails Community Services.
Since November, there have been 63 boxes of Narcan distributed to county buildings. Bluebonnet Trails also provides Narcan through its clinics.
Narcan is also available at any pharmacy as long as you have a national standing prescription.
The county’s mental health authority, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, is supplying the Narcan through a grant. At the beginning of November, 63 boxes of Narcan were deployed to county buildings. The medicine is co-located with AEDs to make it easy to find. Bluebonnet Trails also has Narcan available through their clinics.
“This lifesaving partnership with EMS ensures help is available at the time it is most needed. The follow-up care enhances support for persons seeking recovery by connecting them with information and resources,” notes Andrea Richardson, CEO for Bluebonnet Trails Community Services.
In addition, individuals can obtain Narcan through any pharmacy by way of the national standing prescription.