Pennsylvania State Police Training to Carry Naloxone for Drug Overdoses

April 07—HARRISBURG—The Pennsylvania State Police are preparing to carry a medication used to counteract overdoses from heroin and opioid prescription drugs.

A state law that took effect in November 2014 allows police officers and firefighters to administer naloxone, and members of some municipal forces already are prepared to do so.

Now the state police will begin carrying naloxone kits in patrol cars, Gov. Tom Wolf said in an opinion piece published in several newspapers since Sunday.

Mr. Wolf wrote that in Delaware County, where police were early adopters of carrying naloxone, more than 31 lives have been saved.

"The benefits of naloxone cannot be denied," he wrote. "Naloxone is a non-narcotic and non-addictive prescription drug, so it can only be used to prevent overdoses and save lives."

In 2014, the state police investigated 183 overdose deaths and 126 non-fatal overdoses, said Jeffrey Sheridan, spokesman for Mr. Wolf. Those figures do not distinguish between opioid overdoses, which can be treated by naloxone, and non-opioid overdoses.

All members of state police Troop B, which covers southwestern Pennsylvania, have completed their training, Mr. Sheridan said.

The naloxone kits were provided at no cost to the state police through grants from insurance companies, Mr. Sheridan said.

The Highmark Foundation contributed $50,000, spokesman Aaron Billger said.

Mr. Wolf wrote that he has directed Rachel Levine, physician general, to write a "standing order" serving as a prescription to allow all Pennsylvania citizens.

In Allegheny County, the Mt. Lebanon police have plans to train officers to administer naloxone, said Deputy Chief Aaron Lauth. The Castle Shannon police trained nine of its 13 officers on Monday, Chief Kenneth Truver said.

"When somebody's overdosing and they're on the brink of death and you can give them this medication and revive them and see the effects, it's almost magic," Chief Truver said.

Pittsburgh has no plans for police officers to receive training to use naloxone because EMS personnel carry it routinely and often are the first to respond to an overdose, said Sonya Toler, public safety spokeswoman.

Karen Langley: klangley@post-gazette.com or 717-787-2141 or on Twitter @karen_langley.