After winning the national award, the Los Angeles County Library has expanded its partnership with the Department of Public Health to continue its two-person Narcan clinic.
“We believe in empowering communities through access to critical resources,” said Los Angeles County Library Director Skye Patrick. “The expansion of our naloxone clinics demonstrates our commitment to addressing the opioid crisis.”
The National Association of Counties presented the library system with a Distinguished Service Award in recognition of the naloxone clinic’s efforts and its role in fighting the fentanyl epidemic in the area.
Narcan, also known as naloxone, is a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of an overdose of opioids, including heroin, painkillers, or the more notorious fentanyl.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the synthetic opioid can be 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Doctors typically prescribe pharmaceutical fentanyl to patients suffering from severe pain, such as after surgery or from advanced cancer, but illegally produced fentanyl can also be added to other drugs, making them more potent, more addictive and ultimately more dangerous.
A photo of Narcan doses being distributed by the LA County Library. LA County Library
“We are incredibly honored to receive the NACo Achievement Award, which highlights the importance of the work we do to provide life-saving support and education to our neighbors,” Patrick said.
The clinic will be held every Wednesday from 12-4pm starting July 3rd through the fall. If you would like to participate, please come to one of the 10 library locations listed below.
The clinics are free and participants are not required to show identification or proof of insurance, and clients will receive Narcan at no cost.
For more information about the clinic, including specific dates, please visit the library’s website.
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