Ramsey County pilot program makes opioid overdose kits available to residents

Ramsey County has launched a free naloxone pilot program that aims to distribute opioid overdose reversal kits to residents most likely to use them.

A limited number of kits, which include two doses of naloxone (also known as Narcan), breathing barriers, gloves, instructions and a list of community resources, are available until supplies run out, according to a Ramsey County press release.

St. Paul – Ramsey County Public Health Director Sara Hollie has asked residents to refrain from ordering kits unless they are part of, or interact with, communities where people are more likely to overdose.

Between January and the end of September, there were 142 opioid-involved overdose deaths in Ramsey County.

During Tuesday's Ramsey County Board meeting, Commissioner Trista Martinson emphasized the importance of making naloxone available. She said a woman who happened to have a naloxone kit from Ramsey County Public Health recently flagged her and a county staffer down to help another woman who had overdosed. Martinson, with the help of a 911 operator over the phone, administered the naloxone.

"She popped right back up like nothing had ever happened," Martinson said. "She was able to walk away from that and live."

Kits can be ordered at ramseycounty.us/opioids and will be mailed to homes — one kit per address. The program is funded by opioid settlement money. The county will assess demand in the pilot to determine next steps.