Ramsey County offers free naloxone kits to residents
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Ramsey County launched a pilot project that will offer residents a life-saving drug, county officials announced Monday. Since Monday there have been well over 800 requests for the kits.
Ramsey County Public Health is offering county residents free naloxone kits while supplies last.
Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose from drugs such as heroin, fentanyl and painkillers like oxycodone and vicodin.
Residents can order a kit online and they will be mailed directly to their homes.
There is a limit of one kit per address. Due to limited supply, the county is asking only residents from communities most impacted by the opioid epidemic to order a kit.
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"We want to make sure individuals and communities most impacted by the opioid epidemic have naloxone available, so they can stop an overdose," Public Health Director Sara Hollie said. "We'll be assessing the demand and community interest in this first phase of the pilot to guide future steps."
The kit will contain two doses of naloxone nasal spray, breathing barrier and gloves, directions for use and a list of community resources.
The county says the goal of the pilot is to extend the availability of naloxone further into the community.
The project is funded by Minnesota's settlements with opioid companies.
According to Saint Paul - Ramsey County Public Health, there have been roughly 170 opioid-involved deaths in Ramsey County in 2023 alone, a number that's only increased since the pandemic. It's why the county has now initiated the new program.
County officials said the kits will be targeted to reach communities most impacted by the crisis. They say racially and ethnically diverse areas see the highest rates of overdose deaths.
"I've talked to many people that have come upon unresponsive people in the community and having this life-saving medication has saved a life," said Hollie.
As of Friday, the county has received more than 850 requests for the kits, via their online form.
That level of demand is expected. The pilot program could expand in the future.
"It's really important that we have all hands on deck to respond to this crisis. It's not only the responsibility of public health and our county agencies, but the responsibility of us as community members," said Hollie.