More than 50 faculty and staff of the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) participated in one of two free and voluntary Naloxone trainings offered last month at the Indiana CTSI offices in Indianapolis.
At the event, leaders of the Community Health Partnerships program of the Indiana CTSI distributed 132 (100 intranasal and 32 intramuscular) Naloxone kits that were provided by Overdose Lifeline Inc. and the Indiana Recovery Alliance-Bloomington. Additionally, 75 medication disposal bags were distributed for the safe discarding of Naloxone kits after use. The medication bags provided by United Against Opioids AmeriCorps, located in Miami County, Indiana.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported that overdose death at work from non-medical use of drugs or alcohol increased by at least 38% since 2013 and accounted for 4.2% of occupational injury death in 2017.
“These statistics and countless others support the Indiana CTSI’s efforts to equip its employees with the knowledge of how to recognize opioid overdose and respond using Naloxone should there be a life threatening situation at the Institute or on the nearby IU School of Medicine campus. By empowering our staff with this training and preparing them for an emergency, we here at Indiana CTSI model for other organizations how to be supportive and responsive to any visitors or otherwise who may overdose on opioids,” said Antonia Sawyer, Director of Indiana Healthy Weight Initiative within the Community Health Partnerships program of the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute.
