Flagler County Schools considering stocking Narcan for emergency overdose situations
BUNNELL, Fla. - Staff and nurses at Flagler County Public Schools may soon be able to administer Narcan – a nasal spray used to treat someone suspected of experiencing an opioid overdose – if a policy change is ultimately approved.
School board members discussed a proposal on Tuesday that would add Narcan to the list of emergency medications that can be given at the district's schools.
State lawmakers passed a bill during its last session that allowed public school districts to order the anti-overdose drug and allows trained staff members to use it during an overdose emergency.
An attorney for the school district said the new policy would require oversight from a medical director and that nurses would keep track of inventory at each school. The policy would also not require the district to alert parents before a dose is given because Narcan is usually provided in a time-sensitive emergency, but a student's parents would be notified immediately after.
It appears that Flagler County Public Schools may be the first district in the area, if approved, to supply and be responsible for Narcan.
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FOX 35 reached out to several school districts, including Orange County Public Schools, Seminole County Public Schools, Osceola County Schools, Lake County Schools, Brevard County Public Schools, and Volusia County Schools, and found that while some districts have school resource officers, deputies, or police officers who have Narcan, no other district said it was providing it directly.
"I believe we're the first and I think others will follow," said Michael Feldbauer, president of the Drug Court Foundation in Flagler County.
The non-profit is using a grant from the state to give the district boxes of the nasal spray version of Narcan for free. Flagler County School Board members would have to finish updating the medication policy before the doses are delivered.
Feldbauer said they're advocating for more Narcan in schools and at every age level as a preventative measure.
According to the CDC, drug overdose deaths were up by 31% from 2019 to 2020 in all age groups 15-years-old and up.
"Seeing stuff show up in elementary areas. They're thinking it's a piece of candy, but it's fentanyl," said Feldbauer.
He said the grant is available for two years.
At Tuesday's meeting there was discussion about the legal liability in administering the drug and the proper wording for the policy. Once the draft is complete, it'll be brought to the Board for a vote.
There is no timeline on when the district could finalize the policy.