Opioid overdose reversal kits available at WMed Health clinic
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Free opioid overdose reversal kits are now available at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine clinic on Oakland Drive.
The kits are available in a repurposed newspaper box, located outside the main patient entrance of the WMed Health clinical practice at 1000 Oakland Dr. in Kalamazoo. They include two doses of naloxone, gloves, a mask and information about treatment.
The medical school says it’s partnering with Bronson Healthcare to combat the opioid overdose crisis by offering naloxone, which can quickly reverse the effects of an overdose. In Michigan, overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death for people between 21 and 65 years old, according to a release from WMed.
Old newspaper boxes become Narcan dispensers at Ferris State University
It’s all part of a project launched in 2022 that has installed five naloxone distribution boxes across southwest Michigan, the medical school says. While the project started with grant funding, it’s now continuing with support from Bronson, according to the release.
“When we realized people were dying from car accidents, we put seatbelts in cars,” Dr. Maureen Ford, an assistant professor at the medical school and emergency medicine physician for Bronson who launched the project, said in a statement. “Now, we need to act on this leading cause of accidental death by getting more Narcan out in the community.”
Cherry Health adds 2 new Narcan vending machines
“The more we put it out there, the more accessible it is,” stated Nancy King of the Community Outreach Prevention and Education Network, which provides the overdose prevention kits. “And we know, statistically, that the more naloxone you put into a community, the less fatal overdoses there are.”
WMed says project leaders hope to install five more distribution boxes at other sites.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
