Commonwealth Health Donates Naloxone to City First Responders

10/21/2015

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (Oct. 22, 2015) – Commonwealth Health Wilkes-Barre General Hospital today donated 30 individual doses of Naloxone to City of Wilkes-Barre officials for use in opioid overdoses. The presentation was made by Cor Catena, CEO of Commonwealth Health and General Hospital, to Mayor Thomas Leighton. Naloxone blocks or reverses the effects of opioids and is used to treat an overdose in an emergency situation.

The supply given to the city is administered through a nasal mist. Last year, Pennsylvania enacted a law that gives police access to Naloxone nasal spray and provides immunity from prosecution. Wilkes-Barre police adopted the program in the spring. The drug has been used as a treatment by trained emergency medical technicians for decades.

City officials said they have saved 19 lives this year by administering Naloxone to individuals who overdosed on an opioid.

Catena said the donation was made in response to a request by the city Health Department.

“We’re glad we are able to provide this because we, as a community, are aware of the severity of the drug problem,” Catena said. “We are saving lives and indirectly, we are cutting back on the cost to the community of EMS expenses and hospital ER expenses.”

Attending the presentation of the Naloxone to city officials are, from left: Greg Barrouk, city administrator; Judy Snyder, manager, General Community Pharmacy at Commonwealth Health; Cor Catena, CEO of Commonwealth Health; Mayor Thomas Leighton; Chief of Police Robert Hughes, and Fire Chief Jay Delaney.