AAC


NEWS FROM NACo www.naco.org


About NACo – The Voice of America’s Counties National Association of Counties (NACo) is the only national organization that represents county governments in the U.S. NACo provides essential services to the nation’s 3,068 coun- ties. NACo advances issues with a unified voice before the federal government, improves the public’s understanding of county government, assists counties in finding and sharing innova- tive solutions through education and research and provides value-added services to save counties and taxpayers money.


U.S. Communities can be a key partner in fighting opioid crisis Story by Tiffany Anzalone McCasland


lication] STAT News, opioids could kill nearly 650,000 people across America in the next decade. Te race to solve the unrelent- ing opioid crisis is a top priority in communities small and large. Tere is a broad consensus that increased access to overdose-


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reversing drugs is a critical component of the emergency treat- ment of opioid overdose. New research by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found that “improving access to the opioid overdose antidote naloxone hydrochloride is linked to a 9 to 11 percent re- duction in opioid-related deaths,” potentially resulting in around 3,500 averted deaths nationwide each year. To help combat this national epidemic, the U.S. Communi-


ties Government Purchasing Alliance, Premier, Inc. and Adapt Pharma partnered to offer the first and only FDA-approved potentially lifesaving opioid withdrawal medication, NAR- CAN Nasal Spray, a ready-to-use nasal spray version of nalox- one hydrochloride. NARCAN temporarily reverses the effects of opioids, includ-


ing heroin and pain medications like morphine, oxycodone and hydrocodone, and has become a staple for medical professionals, fire and police departments and even librarians since it does not require assembly or priming to use. Tis ready-to-use, needle-free device is used along with emer- gency medical treatment to reverse the life-threatening effects of opiate overdose. Te discounted program is an effort to provide affordable ac-


he opioid epidemic has been called the worst drug crisis in American history with more than 170 people estimated to die from overdoses every day in the United States. According to [national pub-


cess to NARCAN for entities that serve the public interest with limited funding. Public interest pricing at a 40 percent discount, or $37.50 per dose ($75 for a two-pack carton) is offered through the purchasing power of U.S. Communities. Recently, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) directed the Florida sur- geon general to issue a standing order for NARCAN to ensure that first responders across the state have immediate access to treat opioid overdoses. Similarly, in Arizona over the past four years, opioid overdose deaths increased 74 percent. James Fole, deputy chief procurement officer in Maricopa County, Ariz. said that the county will save an estimated $100,000 annually by pur- chasing NARCAN through U.S. Communities. U.S. Communities Purchasing Cooperative is the leading na- tional cooperative purchasing program, providing world-class government procurement resources and solutions to local and state government agencies, school districts (K-12), higher edu- cation institutions and nonprofits. U.S. Communities partici- pating agencies can purchase NARCAN Nasal Spray at public interest pricing. Tere is no cost or fee to use the program and cooperative purchasing can also deliver significant time efficien- cies when every second counts. Affordable access to this medica- tion will allow entities that serve the public interest with limited funding to combat the number of drug-related overdose deaths across the country. Learn more by visiting www.uscommunities.org/NARCAN,


by calling (877) 981-3312 or by emailing uscommunities@pre- mierinc.com.


Tiffany Anzalone McCasland is the founder and chief executive


officer of Angelle Media, a communications and digital strategy con- sulting firm in Washington, D.C.


75 Counties - One Voice COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2018 49


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