UMSL-MIMH distributes millionth dose of naloxone in Missouri

ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) — The University of Missouri-St. Louis and the Missouri Institute of Mental Health distributed its millionth dose of naloxone last month, marking a milestone in the effort to combat overdose deaths in the state.

Lauren Green, director of community harm reduction programming at UMSL-MIMH, said the team found out after running a report last week that they had distributed more than a million doses of naloxone since beginning the program in 2017. More commonly known under the brand name Narcan, the drug is used to reverse an opioid overdose.

The distribution started with a small budget, Green said. It has increased over the years with help from the Missouri Department of Mental Health and the Department of Health and Senior Services.

“When I first started this work, naloxone was taboo and something people weren’t talking about,” Green said. “There wasn’t a lot of buy-in. But now we’re lucky that a lot of that stigma has gone down, and people are open to carrying it.”

UMSL-MIMH primarily works with agencies in Missouri to get naloxone into the community. Green said the team worked with more than 770 agencies in 2023 to expand access to the life-saving medication.

Drug overdoses have steadily risen in Missouri and the U.S. for several years. Deaths in Missouri peaked at 2,180 in 2022, the most in the state’s history. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is the most common drug associated with overdose deaths.

Anyone can request naloxone through the mail-based program NEXT Distro.

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