NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Davidson County is now equipped with a different form of Naloxone, a drug used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
Narcan, the nasal spray form of Naloxone, has been widely used but as of this year, the Nashville Prevention Partnership is carrying Evzio after the group Count It! Lock It! Drop It! was awarded 200 doses through a grant.
Evzio is an auto injector that voices to you how to receive Naloxone. A box carries two doses and a model used for training.
"Think about it exactly like an EpiPen because it does train you on how to do it just like you would have a trainer for an EpiPen," CLD Lead Trainer Alex Windings told NewsChannel 5.
It is the latest resource in the fight against the opioid crisis. The Nashville Fire Department had a record-breaking year in 2018 when it administered nearly 1,800 doses of Naloxone. It was a 93 percent spike from the year before.
Davidson County's Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist (ROPS) can train anyone in the community.
Windings knows receiving the grant for doses of Evzio was a big deal. The maker Kaleo was under fire late last year for charging $4,100 for Evzio. The company offered a generic version at a significantly cheaper price, as shown on its website.
"Our big thing really is helping out communities," Windings said. "The need is definitely there for more of this."
An anti-drug coalition in Hamilton County is also benefiting from Evzio.
