NALOXONE-FROM CONCEPT TO DELIVERY-POSITIVE COMMUNITY
By : Commander Rory Lakind , Pacific Grove PD
POLICING PARTNERSHIP
Pacific Grove is a small oceanside community located in Central California , and is well known for its amazing views and for being known as the “ last hometown ”. Earlier this year , April or May , the Pacific Grove Police Department was notified that a business owner and some local residents were interested in implementing a needle exchange program at a local pharmacy located in the business district in the heart of the city .
Members from the police department , including the Police Chief , immediately reached out to stakeholders to learn more about the probable implementation of a needle exchange program . Department members met with pharmacy staff , the business owner , and a local physician , who are all committed to public health . During their discussions , a myriad of challenges were vetted and probable solutions were vetted as well . Pharmacy staff , and the local physician , conveyed that the rise in intravenous transmitted diseases , attributed to multiple uses of intravenous needles , as well as , discarded needles left in public places caused their interest for a program where a one-for-one needle exchange would occur .
Unlike other programs on the Central Coast which are situated in industrial settings , the proposed facility is located across from a neighborhood park , near churches , homes , and schools . After a robust and thorough discussion with County Health Officials , it was determined that this may not be an ideal setting for a needle exchange program .
A partnership of understanding and respect was built up between the Police Chief , members of the command team , and the physician who spearheaded the movement . The community / police partnership contributed to continued dialogue regarding a holistic approach to public health and the safety of department members related to the use of Opioids . Monterey County had previously been working on a protocol for approving police departments to carry Naloxone ; commonly known as Narcan , but only one city , Carmel-by-the-Sea , had implemented and was approved to carry the opioid reversal nasal spray .
A shift in the original proposal , a needle exchange program , to officers carrying Naloxone occurred because it expanded the possibilities of improving public safety and public health in Pacific Grove . The Police Department ’ s Command staff and the physician worked closely together to deliver training for all of the department ’ s team members , including professional staff . Ultimately physician provided department-wide training regarding the use of Naloxone , and staff fully embraced the implementation of the new program . Opioid overdose is not as common in Pacific Grove as other parts of the country , and the department already works collaboratively with the fire department and Ambulance Company , both located adjacent to the police department .
Immediately following the training sessions , the physician wrote a prescription and within four days , a box of two doses was stored in every police car . The primary objective was based on Naloxone as an officer safety tool to reverse the symptoms of an accidental opioid exposure , where an officer who accidently touched or inhaled an opioid compound , would need immediate life-saving intervention .
What happened next ? On July 31 , 2017 , just two days after implementing the program , officers were dispatched to an overdose . Officers arrived quickly and recognized the victim , someone known to them as a frequent opioid user , was unconscious . After speaking briefly with his companion , the officers immediately retrieved the Naloxone and administered the first intranasal dose . That did not reverse the overdose and a second dose was subsequently administered according to training . As soon as the second dose was administered , the victim woke up and within a minute was alert and aware of his surroundings . Just about the time the victim was medically revived , the ambulance squad arrived and took over care of the victim who went to the hospital for continued care . The physician at the emergency room , who had been the catalyst for the implementation of the program , stated that the officers saved this person ’ s life through their quick and decisive action . That use of Naloxone on July 31 , 2017 , was the first documented save by a law enforcement agency in Monterey County since the program was enacted .
Shortly after , the department leadership team collaborated with Monterey County Emergency Medical Services and secured permission to carry the opioid reversal spray specifically for saving opioid overdose victims . The department hosted continued training that resulted with County EMS funding the lifesaving program for Naloxone to be used by first responders .
On September 6 , 2017 , the Pacific Grove Police Department honored the two officers that administered the first does of Naloxone . Both officers received an Award of Merit for outstanding performance of duty under unusual or difficult conditions . During the presentation , the department also acknowledged Dr . Casey Grover of the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula , for his leadership and dedication to public health as well as the safety of Monterey County public safety and PGPD team members .
This story was written to exemplify the successful implementation of a lifesaving program through innovative community policing partnerships that provided an opportunity for community stakeholders to achieve a similar goal . The author of this article believes the health and safety of public safety officers and community members have been improved by the strengthening of relationships in and around Pacific Grove , and we look forward to continuing a myriad of partnership in other ways . ■
32 California Police Chief | www . californiapolicechiefs . org