Fentanyl Prevention Day Highlights Growing Narcan Access in Coachella Valley
National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is August 21 according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Andy Tran, psychiatrist Desert Care Network, said Desert Regional's street medicine initiative offers services to patients who struggle with substance use.
"We have the resident physicians who work at Desert Regional go out and help see patients," Tran said. "They offer services there for any patients who can get acute care if they do struggle with any type of opioid use disorders."
Out of the Ashes organization is raising awareness of the dangers of illegally made fentanyl and the significance of overdose prevention.
It's presenting its second annual National Fentanyl Awareness and Education Day on Wednesday with community wide resources including free Narcan training and testing strips.
Narcan, the brand name for Naloxone, can be used to save lives by reversing an opioid-related overdose.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan for over-the-counter purchase in March 2023.
Since then, major pharmacy chains like Walgreens and CVS carry the nasal spray.
In the Coachella Valley, Narcan is available for free, at a harm reduction vending machine installed by DAP Health at the Hunters nightclub. This vending machine offers the nasal spray that can temporarily reverse opioid overdoses.
The College of the Desert confirmed the campus will offer fentanyl test strips later this fall, in a statement to News Channel 3.
Dr. Michael Mesisca , Department chair of Emergency Medicine at Riverside University Health System, said the SU Cares line is 800-499-3008 and recommends anyone struggling with a substance abuse disorder to use it.
"Naloxone is effective, but it's a late response to somebody that's already overdosing," Mesisca said. "The county has a ton of substance use treatment programs, and so we really want to take a multi-pronged effort to addressing fentanyl."
Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from a local clinical psychiatrist about the importance of overdose prevention.
