Ohio grant leads to 2,200+ lives saved

More than 2,200 lives have been saved in Ohio with the help of naloxone bought with the state’s $500,000 investment in the overdose reversal drug last year.

Last fiscal year, which ended June 30, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services provided grants to health departments across the state to buy naloxone for first responders. All but 18 percent of the money was used and the remaining $91,572 has been carried over and added to another $500,000 that was made available July 1.

The majority of the lives saved — 51 percent — were in Hamilton County.

However, there were 10 counties that used none of the money, and three counties — Lawrence, Monroe and Perry — never set up an account with the state pharmacy board to access their allocation. Earlier this month, the Lawrence County Health Department set up an account to access the second year of the grant, said Eric Wandersleben, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services media relations director.

“Andrea Boxill, deputy director of GCOAT (Governor’s Cabinet Opiate Action Team), has been reaching out to remind counties of the funding,” Wandersleben said.

The money was included in the last state budget as part of the response to the continued increase in Ohioans dying from drug overdoses. In 2014, the most recent statewide data available, 2,531 people died from drug overdoses in Ohio, which was a 20 percent increase from 2013.

The death toll continues to climb as the availability of fentanyl, an opioid that is 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin, has increased. And now officials are worried about the appearance of suspected carfentanil — which is 100 times more potent than fentanyl and used for large animals like elephants. Suspected carfentanil has been noted in a spike of overdoses in both Akron and Columbus this month.

Many communities have sought other grants and use local tax money to purchase naloxone for programs, such as Project DAWN, to provide free naloxone to people at risk and their loved ones.

Statewide, more than 7,800 naloxone kits with two doses each of the drug were purchased with the state grant money. Preliminary data submitted to the state indicate those kits reversed at least 2,283 overdoses so far.

The kits were administrated in fewer than 20 overdose deaths, typically from arriving on the scene too late, Wandersleben said. The state still is awaiting overdose reversal data from at least 10 counties.

Four counties — Ross, Marion, Lucas and Gallia — received additional money from the $50,000 the state reserved for emergencies. Those counties reported a combined 192 drug overdose reversals. Initial allocations to health departments were based on population.

Naloxone, the generic for the brand Narcan, is a non-narcotic that can restore breathing in people who are overdosing from prescription painkillers or heroin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been encouraging local health departments to increase access to the medication and training in how to use it in the face of the nationwide heroin and opioid epidemic.

Fairfield County didn’t spend half of its $5,500 allocation last fiscal year, but it was carried over for use with this year’s allocation. The state reported those doses of naloxone reversed at least one drug overdose so far.

Gwen Shafer, nursing director for the Fairfield County Department of Health, said the department made Naloxone available to first responders in the area, providing the drug to about 10 different agencies, including various fire departments across the county and the Carroll Police Department. The Baltimore Police Department has also expressed interest, but Shafer said they have not received any doses yet.

Hamilton County had the lion’s share of reversals reported with 1,159 largely because the department chose to use much of its $29,724 allocation to buy naloxone for EMS and fire departments, who often arrive before law enforcement.

In Cuyahoga County, where there are about 500,000 more people than Hamilton County, there have been 83 overdose reversals with the grant-purchased naloxone, said Vince Caraffi, board supervisor and chairman of the Cuyahoga County Opiate Task Force. The board of health used all $46,669 it was allocated to purchase naloxone and provided it to 41 of the county’s law enforcement agencies, including to departments at Case Western and Cleveland State universities.

Many doses purchased remain unused thus far, but are on hand in case they are needed.

“It’s better to have the materials on hand if it’s needed,” Caraffi said. “... Is it (naloxone) the final solution to the problem? No. But you can’t put someone into treatment if they’re dead.”

Franklin County, where there are about 400,000 more people than Hamilton County, used nearly all of its $44,699 allocation, but it didn’t start drawing down supplies until March, said Shaddy Swade, supervisor of the health department’s emergency preparation and training. They delayed distribution because they wanted to first do a community needs survey to determine where the naloxone was needed most, Swade said. So far, the eight law enforcement agencies and seven EMS and fire departments have reversed at least 239 drug overdoses.

“I think that (number) definitely demonstrates that the materials we provided have made a difference,” Swade said.

While Caraffi noted some law enforcement continues to buck carrying naloxone, Newtown Police Chief Tom Synan in Hamilton County said he’s hearing less flack about emergency responders reviving overdose victims repeatedly. He said it’s law enforcement’s job to save lives, and they’ll continue to do so.

“I’ve heard people say, ‘Why don’t you just let those people die?’” Synan said. “My response has been, in no other part of my job does society tell me to let someone die.”

He’s gone to crashes where a driver was drinking, he’s been on medical emergencies and responded to suicidal people, he said.

“Society told me to do everything I can to save that person’s life, including risking my own life,” Synan said. “Our job is not to judge. Our job is to save lives.”

jison@gannett.com

tdemio@enquirer.com