TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Florida Department of Health is doing its part to have potential live-saving medication for an opioid overdose available.
According to a news release provided by the Florida Department of Health Wednesday, it will begin an initiative to ensure readily available access to naloxone.
The medication will be available at county health departments statewide.
The Florida Department of Health of Leon County noted that it is not a part of the initial phase of this initiative, but will be included when distribution is expanded to all 67 county health departments in Florida.
Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose; restoring breathing and consciousness within minutes of being administered to a person who has overdosed.
The medication is delivered via a nasal spray known as Narcan.
“Addressing the opioid epidemic is a top priority for the state,” said Deputy Secretary for Health Dr. Kenneth A. Scheppke in a statement. “In 2021, almost 8,000 people in Florida lost their lives to drug overdoses, the highest one-year total ever recorded in our state.”
According to the department of health, increasing access to naloxone is a key component in battling the opioid epidemic, especially in rural areas or counties with limited access to health care.
