Narcan now available in campus AED cabinets

Starting this fall, naloxone – also known by the trade name Narcan™ – will be available in AED cabinets across campus. Naloxone is a highly effective and safe drug that can rapidly reverse an overdose, which means restoring breathing and consciousness.

Currently, more than five people a day die from overdose in Arizona. Moreover, an increasing percentage of recreational drugs and fake pills are contaminated with fentanyl, an exceptionally potent synthetic opioid. Having naloxone available is therefore increasingly important to address these concerns and protect our community.

This work was made possible by Team Awareness Combatting Overdose (TACO), a U of A student-led group that provides scientifically-backed community drug education and harm reduction resources. Under the leadership of club president Nicholas Ward and advisor Bridget Murphy, DBH, MEd, TACO has worked with groups across campus and in the community to operationalize these efforts. These groups included Risk Management Services, Office of Public Safety, Office of General Counsel, Campus Health, University Emergency Medical Services, Pima County Health Department and the Center for Transformational Interprofessional Healthcare.

Naloxone and AED cabinets can be found using the U of A campus map. This program has been fully implemented at the University of Arizona main campus in Tucson and is currently expanding to other U of A locations, including the College of Medicine – Phoenix Campus. AED cabinets stocked with naloxone have stickers to notify community members of this resource.

To support this mission, please monitor AED cabinets to confirm that they are currently stocked with naloxone. If empty, please notify Risk Management (RMS-Contact@arizona.edu). To request a free team naloxone training, visit the Arizona Center for Rural Health. Online training videos are also available here. Lastly, click here to learn more about opioid prevention in Arizona.