Marin County Department of Public Health’s “Where’s the Fentanyl” campaign to prevent opioid overdoses has resulted in increased awareness of the problem and greater distribution of free Narcan. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, “Marin County health officials have issued an advisory highlighting a surge in fentanyl overdose deaths… noting five people have died of suspected fentanyl-related overdoses between February 14 and March 1”.
Marin Community Clinics will soon dispense Narcan, a nasal spray that treats opioid overdose by blocking opioid receptors in the body, and fentanyl test strips, an additional method for preventing drug overdoses. We will dispense through vending machines or other mechanisms. Dr. Melanie Thompson, Chief Medical Officer, said of the initiative, “We recognize that fentanyl overdoses touch all of our community. We are particularly focused on our youth who may be unintentionally exposed to fentanyl. As part of our partnership with Marin Public Health, we are training all of our staff to recognize signs of an overdose. Marin Community Clinics is making Narcan readily available at all of our clinic sites.”
