Des Moines Public Schools approves drug overdose prevention tool in schools
On Tuesday evening, the Des Moines School Board voted to approve a proposal to have two doses of Naloxone, also known as Narcan, in each of the district's more than 60 buildings.
Narcan is a medication designed to help reverse or block the effects of an opioid overdose. It is administered as a nasal spray.
The proposal was made by Melissa Abbot, DMPS health services supervisor.
"We've seen an opioid overdoes increase in not only our county, but state and nationally," Abbott said. "Nurses were polled and based off what they experienced last year, it was found that Narcan would have been used as an intervention 11 times during the last school year,"
Abbot says the medication is simple to use. It is sprayed in each nostril.
The district's registered nurses and medically-certified building staff are qualified to administer Narcan.
Abbot says that having Narcan available will help in situations where seconds matter.
"Giving Narcan alone doesn't override our current EMS protocols within the district. But what it does do is, we know with these situations, just a few seconds can make a difference," Abbot said.
The proposal was approved by the Des Moines School Board in a 7-0 vote.
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services also announced plans to provide naloxone nasal spray kits to schools on Tuesday.
The program already helps out businesses and organizations.
Eligible entities are given five kits each and there are two nasal spray options available.
This $9 million is part of the $1.6 billion in funding from the Biden administration for Communities Addressing Addiction and Overdose Crises.