A Virginia pharmaceutical company has donated 4,000 naloxone auto-injectors to the Louisiana Department of Health to help the state reduce its number of opioid overdoses.
The donation is the second from Kaléo Pharma, which also donated more than 8,000 auto-injectors to Louisiana in 2015, Gov. John Bel Edwards’ office says. Naloxone is a fast-acting medicine that reverses an opioid overdose.
The pocket-sized injectors were made available to police, firefighters and EMS agencies across Louisiana through the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, the governor’s office says. The donation includes 2,000 voice-activated training devices to teach first-responders how to use the injectors.
“This issue has been a priority for my administration, and we have worked alongside state lawmakers who also understand the importance of implementing policies that will help save lives,” Edwards says in a statement. “This is not the first time Kaléo has made a donation of this magnitude and we are grateful the company is as committed to solving this crisis as we are.”
Opioid-related deaths and overdoses have steadily climbed in Louisiana since 2012, when 155 deaths were reported, compared to 305 last year.
In its June cover story, Business Report revealed how the epidemic—a national public health crisis—has infiltrated Louisiana’s workforce, driving up employee absenteeism and turnover, and decreasing productivity. Read the cover story.
