Jefferson City schools prepared to roll out anti-overdose drug

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

School health officials in Jefferson City are ready to equip every middle and high school with an anti-opioid overdose medication.

"Whenever you have kids that have access to medications at home, you have to be prepared," said Chad Sooter, the director of health services for the Jefferson City School District.

At its meeting on Wednesday, the district's policy committee gave first approval to a policy update recommended by the Missouri School Boards Association. The update concerns the use of emergency medications, which, as of recently, includes Naloxone.

Naloxone, also called Narcan, is used to prevent an overdose of opioids like Oxycodone.

Sooter said there is little risk to the drug.

"If you administer (Naloxone) to somebody that does not need it, they will have no repercussions from that. However, if you administer to someone that needs it you can actually save their life," he said.

If the policy is approved, each middle and high school in the district would store one dose of the medication. Every district nurse would be trained to use it and would be able to teach other staff members. "The nurse at that school can then train other people," Sooter said.

Sooter added that he has enough doses for the schools already, but is waiting for the school board's final approval. The board is set to take up the policy at its meeting on Monday.

"We hope to never use them but it is an emergency drug that we have available," Sooter said.