An opioid harm prevention program through NDSU’s School of Pharmacy has received a $500,000 grant to support efforts across the state for three years.
The ONE Program, which stands for “Opioid and Naloxone Education” Program, was established in 2018. Heidi Eukel is a professor of pharmacy practice at North Dakota State University. She says the program operates in 75 pharmacies across the state to screen patients prescribed opioids and gauge their risk for misuse or overdose. She says according to their risk assessment, those patients are then offered different resources – such as education, referrals to support treatment centers, or doses of Naloxone. Eukel says the program has expanded to home health, community paramedics, hospice and education programs. Eukel says the screenings have had a measurable impact.
"We've done about 28,000 screenings since the beginning of our program in 2018, and those screenings have shown to be very effective - about 98 percent of people who are at risk are receiving one of six critical interventions. So we know that it's working, and we know we've done evaluations that patients appreciate, pharmacists find valuable - it's just been a very positive impact."
Eukel says the ONE Program has also begun a new initiative that places boxes that contain doses of Naloxone with video instructions next AEDs in various locations.
"So if there is an opioid overdose happening at a community center, a drug treatment center, a school, a bar - these boxes are available, and when they open, it's a video that walks someone through how to safely save someone's life that's overdosing on an opioid."
Eukel says the boxes have been used at least five times.
The grant will be renewed annually for three years.