Name: Ep. 46 – Putting Naloxone in Every Medicine Cabinet: Mark O’Brien, Staying Alive by Cover2 Resources
Duration: 23 min 3 s
Description: Greg interviews Mark O’Brien, the Director of Opioid Overdose Prevention and Treatment for the city of Baltimore. Many U.S. cities have first responders carrying the heroin-antidote naloxone, but in Baltimore they have a loftier goal of getting the lifesaving drug into the medicine cabinet of every resident. Mark discusses this innovative addition to the Staying Alive program and how it works.

Greg interviews Mark O’Brien, the Director of Opioid Overdose Prevention and Treatment for the city of Baltimore. Many U.S. cities have first responders carrying the heroin-antidote naloxone, but in Baltimore they have a loftier goal of getting the lifesaving drug into the medicine cabinet of every resident. Mark discusses this innovative addition to the Staying Alive program and how it works.

Ep. 46 – Putting Naloxone in Every Medicine Cabinet: Mark O’Brien, Staying Alive

As a regular listener of our podcast, you know that Naloxone can revive an unconscious overdose victim, and stabilize them until proper medical help arrives.

130 people die in our country every day from an opioid overdose, and many deaths could be prevented if Naloxone were more readily available. While first responders carry the life-saving drug, it’s not always possible for them to make it to overdose victims in time to save them.

So, how can we get Naloxone to those who need it most? Many leaders, including the US Surgeon General, believe the answer lies in making Naloxone more readily available in our communities.

In today’s podcast, we’ll examine the hurdles that stand in the way of making Naloxone ubiquitous in our communities and what’s being done to remove those hurdles.

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Jeffrey Singer to lead our discussion. Dr. Singer is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, the founder of Valley Surgical Clinics, and an expert on US Naloxone policy.

Ep. 257 - Saving Lives from Opioid Overdoses - Part 1: The Naloxone Policy Discussion

Last week, in part 1 of our series on harm reduction, Dr. Jeffrey Singer talked with us about the current state of Naloxone in America, and how to get it to those in need.

Today, in the 2nd part of this series, we explore Dr. Singer’s argument against the opioid prescribing limits that have been implemented by many states as a means to slow the opioid epidemic.

With more prescribing leniency, a nonprofit group's bid to open a medically supervised drug injection site in Philadelphia could be the first of many alternative treatment methods.
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On April 6th, 2020, Dr. Springer will debate author Sam Quinones on the premise of his bestselling book “Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opioid Epidemic”. Join us next time as we continue our conversation with Dr. Singer and Preview his faceoff with Mr. Quinones.

Ep. 258 - Saving Lives from Opioid Overdoses – Part 2: Innovations in Harm Reduction

In 1996, pain became the 5th vital sign in medicine, prompting doctors to rely on opioids for pain treatment. As a result, opioid prescriptions spiked over the next 15 years, causing hundreds of thousands of opioid addictions.
While many doctors were educated on opioid prescribing practices, what they didn’t know – and are still learning – were strategies for tapering patients off of these highly addictive drugs.
Something Dr. Travis Rieder, a Bioethicist at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, had to figure out on his own while recovering from a nasty motorcycle accident.
Dr. Rieder recounts his experience with opioid dependency in his book, In Pain, and joins us today to share his story of opioid dependence, withdrawal, and recovery.
Listen to today’s podcast for a first-hand experience of this medical knowledge deficiency, and what must be done to fill the gaps in pain treatment.

Ep. 271 - In Pain: When No One Knows How to Taper Pain Pills

The Cover2 Podcast is an ongoing series of interviews with people who are making a difference in the fight against opioid addiction. The Cover2 Podcast seeks to raise awareness and to connect users and their families with resources that can literally save a life. Listen to our most recent episodes below, and please consider donating to support this cause.

Ep. 46 – Putting Naloxone in Every Medicine Cabinet: Mark O’Brien, Staying Alive

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