Project Lazarus joins Forsyth County fight against opioid epidemic
During a press conference on Monday, June 4, Forsyth County first responders received more than 1,000 doses of the drug used for patients who are showing signs of overdose.
In an attempt to expand access to naloxone and increase public education on the opioid epidemic, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of NC and Walgreens has partnered with Project Lazarus, a nonprofit organization geared toward empowering communities and individuals to prevent overdoses.
It’s no secret that the number of opioid deaths in N.C. has spiked in recent years. Each day at least four people die from drug overdose in various parts of the state. The partnership is designed to ensure that residents have access to the medication they need to make a full recovery.
During a press conference on Monday, June 4, Forsyth County first responders received more than 1,000 doses of the drug used for patients who are showing signs of overdose. According to Tara Tucker with Forsyth County EMS, since the beginning of the year her EMS workers and local firefighters have administered more than 600 doses of naloxone.
After thanking representatives from UnitedHealthcare, Walgreens and Project Lazarus in attendance, Tucker said in order to make a real difference in the fight against opioids, it’s going to take more partnerships like this one.
Along with the doses of naloxone, Project Lazarus also shared a snippet of a video that gives warning signs of a drug overdose, how to administer naloxone, and other steps to take when recovering from a drug overdose.
