Use of Naloxone Cited in Life-Saving Efforts for 19 Oklahomans

July 15--Tulsa-area law enforcement have used an emergency medicine that can reduce drug overdose to save 19 Oklahomans from death, the state mental health commissioner said Tuesday. "Nineteen Oklahomans who today would be dead," Terri White said.

About a year ago, the state Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services started equipping Tulsa police officers and other Tulsa County first responders with naloxone kits as part of a pilot program.

It's part of a larger effort among state leaders pushing to reduce prescription drug abuse and overdose deaths in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma has ranked among the worst in the nation for prescription drug abuse and overdose deaths, with Tulsa County, in recent years, ranking No. 18 in the U.S. for prescription drug overdose.

At the state Board of Health meeting, White outlined issues the state faces in providing mental health and substance use disorder treatment to its poorest residents.

"Currently, in the latest study, we were ranked second highest among all states for the number of people struggling with addiction," White said.

Oklahoma spends far too little on prevention, using the majority of its funding on treating people who are already far into their illness, White said.

Primary care offices and emergency room medical professionals could help identify mental illness and substance abuse in their patients, which could help people from developing more serious illness, White said. One in four emergency room visits is related to mental illness, she said.

White said these professionals could use a screening tool called Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment, or SBIRT, an evidence-based practice tool used to identify, reduce and prevent problematic use, abuse and dependence on alcohol and illicit drugs, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

White said her agency is prepared to go statewide with the program, and she regularly meets with medical professionals to find ways to do that.

"A single brief intervention done by a medical professional and then followed up as people continue to go to their primary care decreases substance abuse by 60 percent," White said.

Contributing: Staff Writer Darla Slipke

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