Scripps Donation Funds Sheriff's Overdose Treatment Program

A $4,500 donation from Scripps Health is funding a pilot program that puts an opiate overdose antidote in the hands of San Diego County sheriff’s deputies who often are first to the scene of a drug emergency.

The medication, Naloxone, is a “game-changer” that can save lives in the moments that are most critical for overdose patients, said Scripps’ Shawn Evans, MD, in an article published by UT San Diego.

The six-month pilot program in Santee, Lakeside and the unincorporated areas surrounding El Cajon will help Sheriff’s Department officials decide whether the drug should be carried by deputies throughout the county.

A number of local media outlets reported on the program when it was announced recently.

Read the UT San Diego article: Deputies Armed with ‘OD Antidote’

Watch the NBC 7 report: San Diego Deputies First in California to Carry Overdose Antidote

Watch the KPBS report: Sheriff’s Deputies to Cary Drug Overdose Nasal Spray

Read the Santee Patch article: East County Sheriff’s Deputies to Carry Nasal Spray to Counteract OD of Opiates

Read the Times of San Diego article: Sheriff’s Deputies to Carry New Drug Overdose Antidote