Pikeville, KY – The University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine is offering free NARCAN training sessions to university faculty, staff, and students as well as first responders and other community members. Individuals who complete the grant-funded training will receive opioid education certification from the American Heart Association.

Available as a spray, NARCAN is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. According to the Appalachian Overdose Mapping Tool, from 2013-2017, Pike County’s opioid overdose mortality rate was 38.2 (per 100,000 population), more than twice the national rate of 16.4.

“Unfortunately, due to the prevalence of opioid use in Eastern Kentucky, there’s a high demand for NARCAN in the area,” noted Joshua Crum, D.O., KYCOM associate dean for clinical affairs and assistant professor of family medicine. “Although NARCAN can be obtained over the counter, it’s important that individuals receive training prior to administering the medication. That’s where this grant comes in. UPIKE-KYCOM has the opportunity to offer hands-on training, in addition to the AHA’s training video, so that trainees can learn how to properly administer the medication during a simulation.”

If you or your organization would like to participate in a free training session, contact Dr. Crum at 218-5428 or Danny Driskill at 218-5448.

The $29,500 grant, which includes the installation of four NARCAN stations across UPIKE’s campus, was awarded by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, to provide training and technical assistance to increase knowledge of opioid use disorder prevent, treatment, and harm reduction services and increase capacity to respond to an opioid-related event.