Dr. Mark Roby, Director of Nursing for the Department of Health in Monroe County, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about the department’s services.
Fentanyl Awareness and Education Day is coming up this Thursday, August 21.
Dr. Roby said, “On May 23 of this year, the Florida Legislature passed House Bill 259 which established August 21 as Fentanyl Awareness and Education Day. So again, the day is designed, really to promote awareness, provide education of the dangers of fentanyl and potential overdoses. So this calls part of those efforts, a little preemptive strike, a little at a time.”
What is fentanyl?
Dr. Roby said, “Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. It is used in the hospital settings. We use it for surgical procedures, for anesthesia, also for pain medicine management. In some cases, I think it’s important to remember, it’s 50 times stronger than heroin and it’s 100 times stronger than morphine. So it works very well for what it’s designed to do. That unfortunately, then makes it a great candidate to be found in street drugs such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines and marijuana, because it can just increase the effects, and oftentimes, people will be taking some of these substances without knowing that it’s been laced by fentanyl. You never know. It’s hard to detect. So the best thing to do is get your medications from a pharmacy.”
Can fentanyl overdoses be prevented?
Dr. Roby said, “I think it’s important to remember, we’ll talk about people who are using this illicitly, not under prescription or care of a doctor, but lead with empathy. Substance use, it is a disorder. It’s an illness. Just remember illness is illness, whether we like to sometimes distinguish physical illness from mental illness, substance abuse, but illness is illness, and it does require complex care, connection with health resources, and with the community, to help people recover and to manage this illness. People who are suffering from substance use, encourage them to carry Naloxone or Narcan, because that can help rescue you should you get into trouble, even if you unknowingly ingest fentanyl, because you’re using something else, connect with loved ones, connect with peers to help people aid in their recovery. I think it’s also important, think of someone who has come from the hospital after surgery or some procedure, they’re oftentimes provided opioid prescriptions to help with their recovery from that procedure as well. So it’s important to keep the Narcan on hand for that, because even those prescriptions in controlled settings can cause issues, unintended consequences. You don’t always know how someone is going to respond. Someone may inadvertently take too much at one time. So again, having Naloxone on hand can help in those situations as well.”
What are some of the signs of an overdose from fentanyl?
Dr. Roby said, “You’re going to look for obviously, if someone is sleeping, you can’t rouse them, they’ve lost consciousness. If they have pinpoint pupils, so small constricted pupils, they’re like little, tiny dots versus what you’re used to seeing from people when you walk around. Either slow, weak or they’re obviously not breathing, is not a good sign. But even if they’re kind of like snoring or having difficulties breathing, that could be a sign of a possible overdose. Cold, clammy skin, and of course discolored skin, because if you’re not breathing, well, what do we tend to do? We tend to turn blue, bluish. So especially if you look in the lips and the nails, if people look a little blue or pale there, then that might be a potential overdose as well. Also, if their body is just limp and they’re out of it. So if you suspect any of those signs of an overdose, or you suspect there’s an overdose, you want to call 911, immediately. You’re going to want to get help. If you have Narcan or Naloxone available, go ahead and administer it. You also want to put the person on their side, just in case they vomit while they’re passed out, to help prevent choking. It helps keep the airway open as well. And then if they do come around, try to keep them awake, try to keep them breathing, try and keep them calm until emergency assistance arrives.”
The Department of Health Monroe has given out more than 800 free cans of Narcan.
Dr. Roby said, “It’s free. Come by any of our locations. It’s no questions asked. We do ask that you be 18 years of age or older to receive it. We typically will give out two boxes, which will give you two doses of the Narcan, or Naloxone. It’s basically a nasal inhaler. It’s really easy to administer. Anyone can do it. But if you are going to use it, you don’t prime it. You just go ahead and stick the nozzle up the person’s nose, and you push the button. That will deliver the Narcan. It takes about two to three minutes for it to take effect. If you don’t get a response, it’s okay to give another one, and then, two to three minutes later you can give another one. So it’s as simple as possible. Again, by doing that, you might be saving someone’s life. If you are going to be administering Narcan, again I can’t stress the importance enough of calling 911. Some opioids last longer than the Narcan, so they may come out of it initially, but then once that Narcan wears off, they may overdose again. So you want to get people to help if you’re using that Narcan. And if you have questions or not sure where we’re located, people can call. Our number is, 305-293-7500. I think another good service that’s out there, there is a website and a service called Never Use Alone. So if you are going to use a drug, this is a service you can call. So if you are going to use a drug, you can call them. Someone will come on the line to make sure that you’re safe while you’re using the drug, and if something happens where you’re no longer responsive to them on the phone, they will notify EMS for you to have them come out. To date they’ve received 60,000 calls. They’ve called EMS 230 times, and they’ve saved 175 people’s lives.”
For more information, click here: https://monroe.floridahealth.gov/