As a 23-year-old Gen-Zer, Kayla Wesley grew up hearing stories from friends who suffered as loved ones struggled with opioid addiction, as the epidemic surged during her teenage years.
Kortney Warkentin (pictured), a 34-year-old Navy veteran, has seen the results of the opioid scourge too, particularly among veterans, who are at higher risk than the general population for suicide – intentional or not -- and often get addicted to painkillers prescribed for injuries sustained during military service.
Both ACPHS pharmacy students were highly motivated to participate in Narcan Training Day on Thursday, Aug. 31, an event organized by the Saratoga County Department of Health and Saratoga Hospital Medical Group in conjunction with International Overdose Awareness Day. They joined two other pharmacy students, two ACPHS pharmacy residents, two faculty members and three students from Albany Medical College to train community members on how to use the life-saving opioid antidote naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan.
ACPHS Associate Professor Dr. Jacqueline Cleary coordinated the College’s involvement for the fourth year. Participants were at primary care offices, a mall and even on the streets of Saratoga, reaching out to community members.
Participants shared a common motivation.
“If we can keep somebody alive, that’d be great, wonderful,” said Warkentin, who was at Wilton Mall on Thursday. (She is pictured above with Eric Smith, a pharmacy student from Binghamton University doing a clinical rotation in Saratoga Springs.)
In addition to the scary stories Wesley has heard from friends, the heartening ones about naloxone have also stuck with her. The drug can literally reverse an overdose and revive someone from the brink of death. She’s grateful to have had hands-on training in administering the antidote at ACPHS, especially as pharmacy students at other colleges have told her they only learn about the drug in class.
“A friend of a friend had somebody who used Narcan on them — they then were able to get to the hospital on time to help save this life,” said Wesley, a native of Johnstown in rural Fulton County, who volunteered Thursday at Schuylerville Primary Care. In rural communities, she said, “sometimes the pharmacist is the closest thing to medical care that you can get.”
Dr. Cleary led a group at Wilton Mall, where they trained about 70 people, including security and food court staff.
“It was very successful,” Dr. Cleary said. “It gets bigger every year.”
Alumni also participated in Thursday’s event. Alexandra Barr ’16, who holds a bachelor’s in health and human sciences from ACPHS, helped to coordinate the countywide event in her position as senior health educator for the Saratoga County Department of Health. She was stationed on the main street of Ballston Spa, Saratoga County, in front of O’Brien Pharmacy, owned by Sean O’Brien ’88. At her table with Leslie Collura of Healing Springs Recovery Center, she was armed with information on harm reduction methods, test strips for detecting the presence of the highly potent and dangerous drugs fentanyl and xylazine, and free Narcan kits.
Hannah Curtiss ’19, a pharmacist at O’Brien Pharmacy, said this is the second year the community pharmacy has participated in the event.
“Access to Narcan is an important thing for us,” Curtiss said.
While some people have health insurance that allows them to get naloxone at no cost, others pay a significant price for it, Curtiss said. Recently available over the counter for the first time, it typically sells for almost $45 for a two-dose pack. Knowing how to use it properly means customers may actually save a life without wasting the medication.
That’s increasingly important as the number of deaths from opioids continues to soar. The state health department reported a 14 percent rise in overdoses statewide earlier this year.
If you or someone you know needs direct access to Narcan please visit https://providerdirectory.aidsinstituteny.org/ for an opioid overdose prevention program near you.