SaferCare Texas is continuing its mission of eliminating preventable harm by offering training on how to use Narcan, a medication used to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids.

On Tuesday, HSC’s patient safety-focused program hosted over 50 participants for their Narcan Lifesaving Training Event.

This training was created to support Governor Abbott’s statewide “One Pill Kills” campaign, aimed at combating the fentanyl crisis.

Dr. John Mills, Chief Medical Officer for HSC’s Correctional Medicine Program and member of the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council, was the keynote speaker for the event.

Mills spoke about the impact fentanyl has on the community and why learning how to administer Narcan is so important.

“The striking thing about that wall is that there is a lot of 15-year-olds on that wall, ” said Mills, as he showed participants a photograph that illustrated every person who has died of a fentanyl overdose.

“With the increase of opioid deaths across the state and country, we want to provide this education so that people will know how to use Narcan and hopefully save lives,” said Dr. Teresa Wagner, interim director for SaferCare Texas.

Participants could request a box of Narcan,  however they were limited to only two doses due to the nation wide shortage.

Wagner hopes that the FDA’s recent announcement to offer Narcan as an over-the-counter medication will change the amount of life-saving medicine available to the community.

“In February 2020, we were able to get a larger supply to distribute to our students, but now they have to limit the amount they are distributing due to the increased need,” Wagner said. “Hopefully the FDA ruling will increase supply that is available, and shortages won’t be an issue.”

The next Narcan Lifesaving Training will be hosted on September 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. at The University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth’s Medical Education and Training Building.