For the first time, 165 first-year med students received a training session to address the state’s opioid epidemic where they learned the principles of harm reduction and to use Narcan, also known as naloxone, to reverse an opioid overdose. The students also each received their own Narcan kit, equipping them to possibly save someone from an overdose.

“We learned how serious the opioid crisis is. It is an epidemic in this country. To tackle the crisis, we need Narcan to be available over the counter and we need more people trained,” said Daniel Hughes, a first-year medical student who took part in the course. “It’s good that the UofL School of Medicine is trying to get as many people as possible trained early on.”

According to the , 2,250 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses in 2021, a 14.5% increase over 2020, which saw a 49% increase over 2019. An opioid was involved in 90% of overdose deaths.

The 90-minute mandatory session informed the students how to respond if they encounter someone experiencing an overdose. Instructors James Patrick Murphy, a clinical professor at UofL and board member of the (KyHRC), and Christopher Stewart, associate professor in the UofL Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, also outlined the rationale and evidence for harm reduction according to the .

“Harm reduction is care that meets people who use drugs ‘where they are,’ on their own terms, keeping them alive and as healthy as possible by decreasing overdoses, preventing life-threatening infections and reducing the impact of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis,” Murphy said. “Harm reduction also serves as a proven pathway to additional prevention, treatment and recovery. Simply put, harm reduction is humble and compassionate care that saves lives.”

The students were shown how to use Narcan to reverse an opioid overdose and given a Narcan kit, provided by the KyHRC and valued at $100 each.

Susan Sawning, a professor in UofL’s office of medical education, was instrumental in creating the course and obtaining the Narcan kits for the students. For her, the need is personal.

“I have lost multiple people in my life to overdose,” Sawning said. “I wish their families, friends and medical professionals had had the knowledge about harm reduction our students learned through this training.”

The (SPHIS) Student Council is joining the , and other groups to host a panel discussion and training on Wed., April 6 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Avenue – Cardinal Towne, 325 W. Cardinal Blvd.

Panelists will include representatives from the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition, the Louisville Metro Police Department Narcotics Unit, BRICC Coalition and Metro Council District 6. A licensed Narcan instructor from the local chapter of Young People in Recovery will train students on use of the opiate antidote Narcan (naloxone), which can be used to reverse an opioid overdose.

This training builds on other intervention activities of UofL students to address a variety of public health issues. A number of medical, nursing and public health students have opted to become state certified HIV testers, and some have trained to help Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness with the needle exchange program designed to reduce the spread of HIV and blood-borne diseases.

Among other National Public Health Week activities are an Instagram contest and lunch and learn discussion with Brandy Kelly Pryor, PhD, associate professor in the SPHIS Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences and director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness Center for Health Equity. Find the complete listing of events on the .

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