INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction will expand access to the opioid reversal agent naloxone to all 92 counties.
The state will be purchasing 215 “NaloxBox” units and using Overdose Lifeline, Inc. to help with placement.
“Making overdose response tools like naloxone readily available to any Hoosier who may encounter an individual suffering from an overdose is critical in addressing the drug epidemic,” Gov. Holcomb said. “We’re committed to raising awareness about the need for bystanders to carry this lifesaving drug, which is why we’ve made it available via so many avenues, oftentimes at no cost to Hoosiers.”
A NaloxBox is a hard acrylic box mounted to an exterior wall that provides 24/7 access to naloxone. Each unit contains six to eight doses of naloxone, instructions for use, and treatment referral cards.
The program will work by allowing any business or community groups to request a NaloxBox unit to install in an accessible and highly visible area. Those businesses and groups will have to monitor that the naloxone is there each day and request refills when needed.
“Our mission is to save lives from a disease that has devastated communities across our state,” said FSSA Secretary Jennifer Sullivan, M.D., M.P.H. “NaloxBoxes are just one innovative strategy we’re using to support Hoosiers with substance use disorders. By normalizing access to this overdose reversal tool, we’re reducing the stigma often associated with opioid overdose.”
Businesses or community groups who want to receive a NaloxBox should contact Justin Phillips, founder and executive director of Overdose Lifeline, Inc. at justin@overdoselifeline.org.
First responders, families, caregivers, and other individuals who would like to receive a supply of naloxone can register here.
