Southeastern Greene to get Naloxone supply
MAPLETOWN – Southeastern Greene is expected to become the second school district in Greene County to seek funding for a supply of Naloxone.
Southeastern’s school board during its Monday meeting approved a Naloxone policy, which will allow the district to store and administer two doses of the antidote, which reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, just months after Carmichaels Area School District approved a similar policy.
“We definitely have a growing risk of overdosing, not just in our community, but across the state and country,” Southeastern Greene Superintendent Rich Pekar said. “We want to do everything we can to potentially save a child and student’s life.”
Southeastern Greene and Carmichaels will be applying, but not competing, for the same grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Both districts needed to approve policies, get a prescription for Naloxone from their district physicians and train employees in administering the antidote in order to apply for the grant.
Pekar said the school nurse, two school police officers and several administrators will be trained on administering Naloxone. He said the district also obtained a prescription and the district now has a policy in place.
“As a means of enhancing the health and safety of its students, staff and visitors, the district may obtain, maintain and administer doses of an opioid antagonist and other facilities, specifically Naloxone, for emergency use to assist a student, staff member or other individual believed or suspected to be experiencing an opioid overdose,” the policy states.
Pekar compared the new policy to the district’s policy on administering emergency medication for students suffering from a severe allergy attack.
“We have EpiPens for students who have allergies,” he said. “It’s similar with this situation. When you look back on a horrible situation you want to know that you did everything you could to save a child’s life, God forbid something like that would happen.”
The district has not yet submitted the grant application and it is unknown when they can expect to receive the Naloxone doses.
“We’ve taken a pretty proactive approach to drug use and I think we’ve seen a decline of drug use, at least in the school setting,” Pekar said.