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Free naloxone: Pa. plans nation's biggest giveaway of overdose reversal drug
Patriot-News - 12/6/2018
Dec. 06--Free doses of naloxone will be given away to anyone who asks at dozens of locations all over Pennsylvania next Thursday, Dec. 13.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health believes it is the largest such distribution ever held in the United States, spokesman Nate Wardle said.
Naloxone is the drug which can reverse an overdose from an opioid drug such as heroin or a prescription painkiller, saving the life of someone who was on the verge of death.
Next week's distribution comes shortly after the latest figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed Pennsylvania leading the nation with 5,388 overdose deaths in 2017.
Overdose reversal kits containing two doses will be given to any Pennsylvania resident who shows up at one of about 80 locations across the state. The state is recommending the doses for anyone who is close to someone who might overdose. The doses are of the nasal spray type that is held under the victim's nose.
"The goal is to get naloxone into the hands of people who need it," according to Wardle, who added the ultimate goal is to get the person who overdosed into drug treatment.
The state is shipping a total of 5,000 kits to the giveaway locations, with one or more locations in almost every county. Wardle said the amount sent to each location is based on things including population, the local overdose rate and number of emergency services calls for overdoses.
The doses will be paid for with money from $5 million contained in the 2017-2018 state budget to pay for naloxone for first responders such as ambulance crews and police officers who routinely encounter people who have overdosed.
Wardle said given that state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine cleared the way for anyone to obtain and use naloxone without a prescription, and given the prevalence of overdoses, anyone in Pennsylvania is considered a "first responder."
Pennsylvania has long been among the national leaders in drug overdose deaths. According to the latest numbers, its overdose rate is more than double the national average. Wardle said next week's giveaway is unrelated to any recent developments, and planning for things such as staffing the giveaway locations has been in the works for weeks.
Wardle said there is no way to know if the 5,000 kits will be enough to supply everyone who might show up on Thursday. "We would absolutely love to distribute all the naloxone and not have any left over," he said.
Wardle further pointed out that naloxone can be obtained for free at pharmacies for anyone covered by the state's Medicaid program.
At most of the Dec. 13 locations, the naloxone kits will be distributed from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Here is the full list of locations:
Adams County:
Adams County State Health Center -- 424 E. Middle St., Suite 1, Gettysburg.
Allegheny County:
Allegheny County Health Department Immunization Clinic, Hartley Rose Building -- 425 First Ave., 4th Floor, Pittsburgh.
Allegheny County Health Department Pharmacy -- 425 First Ave., Fourth Floor, Pittsburgh.
Duquesne University Pharmacy -- 1860 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh.
Millvale Community Center -- 501 Lincoln Ave.Pittsburgh.
Turtle Creek Fire Department -- 125 Monroeville Ave., Turtle Creek.
Armstrong County:
Armstrong County State Health Center -- 245 Butler Rd., Suite 1, Kittanning.
Beaver County:
Beaver County State Health Center -- 500 Water Street, Suite 104, Bridgewater.
Bedford County:
Bedford County State Health Center -- 130 Vindersmith Ave., Suite A, Bedford.
Berks County:
Berks County State Health Center -- 625 Cherry St., Room 401, Reading.
Blair County:
Blair County State Health Center -- 615 Howard Ave., Suite 101, Altoona.
Bradford County:
Bradford/Sullivan County State Health Center -- 142 Colonial Dr., Towanda.
Bucks County:
Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission -- 600 Louis Dr., Suite 102A, Warminster.
Southern Bucks Recovery Community Center -- 1286 Veterans Hwy., Suite 6D, Bristol.
Quakertown Branch of the Bucks County Free Library -- 401 W. Mill St., Quakertown.
Butler County:
Butler County State Health Center -- 100 Brugh Ave., Suite 201, Butler.
Cambria County:
Cambria County State Health Center -- 184 Donald Ln., Suite 1, Johnstown.
Cameron County:
Cameron County Recreation Center -- 300 S. Chestnut St., Emporium.
Carbon County:
Carbon County State Health Center -- 281 N. 12th St., Suite A, Lehighton.
Centre County:
Centre Life Link EMS -- 2580 Park Center Blvd., State College.
Chester County:
Chester County Department of Health -- 601 Westtown Rd., Suite 290, West Chester.
Clarion County:
Clarion County State Health Center -- Applewood Center, 162 S. 2nd St. Suite D, Clarion.
Clearfield County:
Clearfield County State Health Center -- 1125 Linden St., Suite 1, Clearfield.
Clinton County:
Clinton County State Health Center -- 215 E. Church St., Lock Haven.
Columbia County:
Columbia County State Health Center -- 327 Columbia Blvd., Suite 2, Bloomsburg.
Crawford County:
Crawford County State Health Center -- 847 N. Main St., Suite 101, Meadville.
Cumberland County:
Cumberland County State Health Center -- 431 E. North St., Carlisle.
Dauphin County:
Dauphin County State Health Center -- 30 Kline Plaza, Harrisburg.
Delaware County:
Delaware County State Health Center -- 151 W. Fifth St., Suite 1, Chester.
Elk County:
Elk/Cameron County State Health Center -- 778 Washington Rd., St. Marys.
Erie County:
Blasco Library, 2088 Interchange Rd., Erie.
Fayette County:
Fayette County State Health Center -- 100 New Salem Rd., Suite 102, Uniontown.
Forest County:
Forest County State Health Center -- 305 S. Elm St., Tionesta.
Franklin County:
Franklin County State Health Center -- 375 Floral Ave., Suite 1, Chambersburg.
Fulton County:
Fulton County State Health Center -- 182 Buchanan Trail, Suite C, McConnellsburg.
Greene County:
Greene County State Health Center -- 101 Greene Plaza, Waynesburg.
Huntingdon County:
Huntingdon County State Health Center -- 6311 Margy Dr., Suite 1, Huntingdon.
Indiana County:
Indiana County State Health Center -- 75 N. 2nd St., Indiana.
Jefferson County:
Jefferson County State Health Center -- 200 Prushnok Dr., Suite 202A, Punxsutawney.
Juniata County:
Juniata County State Health Center -- 809 Market St., Port Royal.
Lackawanna County:
Lackawanna County State Health Center -- Scranton State Office Building, 100 Lackawanna Avenue, Room 110, Scranton.
Lancaster County:
Lancaster County State Health Center -- 1661 Old Philadelphia Pike, Lancaster.
Lawrence County:
Lawrence County State Health Center -- 106 Margaret St., New Castle.
Lebanon County:
Lebanon County State Health Center -- 9 N. 9th St., Lebanon.
Lehigh County:
Lehigh County State Health Center -- 3730 Lehigh St., Suite 206, Whitehall.
Allentown City Bureau of Health -- Alliance Hall, 245 North 6th St., Allentown.
Luzerne County:
Luzerne County State Health Center -- 665 Carey Ave., Suite 2, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18706
Wilkes-Barre City Health Department -- 71 N. Franklin St., Kirby Health Center, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
Lycoming County:
Lycoming County State Health Center -- 1000 Commerce Park Dr., Suite 109, Williamsport.
McKean County:
McKean County State Health Center -- 84-90 Boylston St., Bradford.
Mercer County:
Mercer County State Health Center -- 25 McQuiston Dr., Jackson Center.
Mifflin County:
Mifflin County State Health Center -- 21 S. Brown St., Suite 2A, Lewistown.
Monroe County:
Monroe County State Health Center -- 1972 W. Main St., Suite 102, Stroudsburg.
Montgomery County:
Montgomery County Office of Public Health -- Norristown Center, 1430 DeKalb St., Norristown.
Montgomery County Office of Public Health -- Pottstown Center, 346 King St., Pottstown.
Montgomery County Office of Public Health -- Willow Grove Center, 102 York Rd., Suite 401, Willow Grove.
Montour County:
Montour County State Health Center -- 329 Church St., Danville.
Northampton County:
Northampton County State Health Center -- 1600 Northampton St., Easton.
Bethlehem City Bureau of Health -- 10 E. Church St., Bethlehem.
Northumberland County:
Northumberland County State Health Center -- 247 Pennsylvania Ave., Sunbury.
Perry County:
Perry County State Health Center -- 153 Red Hill Road, Newport.
Philadelphia County:
Holmesburg Library -- 7801 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Lucien E. Blackwell West Library -- 125 S. 52nd St., Philadelphia, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
McPherson Square Library -- 601 E. Indiana Ave., Philadelphia, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
South Philly Library -- 1700 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Pike County:
Pike County State Health Center -- 10 Buist Rd., Suite 401, Milford.
Potter County:
Potter County State Health Center -- 295 U.S. Route 6 West, Suite 1, Coudersport,.
Schuylkill County:
Schuylkill County State Health Center -- One Norwegian Plaza, Suite 103, Pottsville.
Snyder County:
Selinsgrove Center -- 1000 Route 522, Selinsgrove.
Somerset County:
Somerset County State Health Center -- 651 S. Center Ave., Somerset.
Sullivan County:
Dushore Fire Department -- 212 Julia St., Dushore.
Susquehanna County:
Susquehanna County State Health Center -- 157 Spruce St., Montrose.
Tioga County:
Tioga County State Health Center -- 44 Plaza Ln., Wellsboro.
Union County:
Union County State Health Center -- 1610 Industrial Blvd., Suite 100, Lewisburg.
Venango County:
Venango County State Health Center -- 3298 State Route 257, Seneca.
Warren County:
Warren County State Health Center -- 2027 Pennsylvania Ave. East, Warren.
Washington County:
Washington County State Health Center -- 67 N. Main St., Suite 100, Washington.
Wayne County:
Wayne County State Health Center -- 615 Erie Heights, Honesdale,.
Westmoreland County:
Westmoreland County State Health Center -- 233 W. Otterman St., Greensburg
Monessen State Health Center -- 1 Wendell Ramey Ln., Suite 140, Monessen.
Wyoming County:
Wyoming County State Health Center -- 5632 State Route 6, Tunkhannock.
York County:
York County State Health Center -- 1750 N. George St., York.
York City Bureau of Health -- 435 W. Philadelphia St., York.
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