Narcan Now Provided At 9 UW Campuses Through Partnership

Nine University of Wisconsin Campuses will now have access to free Narcan, an overdose-reversing drug. Law enforcement and security officers will be the first to receive the drug, but there’s a plan to also distribute Narcan to resident assistants at dorms.

Adapt Pharma is providing the Narcan nasal spray devices to Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Platteville, River Falls, Stevens Point, Stout and Superior.

State Attorney General Brad Schimel said time is significant when administering this drug.

“The faster that you can get the Narcan administered to the person the more likely that you’re going to be successful,” he said. “So even in the minutes it might take for law enforcement to respond to the location that can make a difference. So it’s important to have this accessible to a lot of people.”

Schimel said Wisconsin is the first to have Narcan available across the University System. UW-Madison, Milwaukee, Parkside and Whitewater already have the anti-overdose drug available.

UW System President Ray Cross says this drug will help campuses prepare to deal with the growing opioid epidemic. According to the state Department of Health Services, 614 people died from opioid-related overdose deaths in 2015.

“One death of a student, and/or a community member or a staff member because of this is one too many and that’s really important, and this works so well why wouldn’t we do this?” Cross said at a press conference Wednesday.

According to Adapt Pharma, more than 216 colleges and universities in 35 states have participated in the program since it launched in April. The company has also worked with high schools and says it has distributed approximately 5,550 free doses to high schools in 41 states.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, with original reporting from WPR staff.