Fort Worth bartenders come together for hands-on NARCAN training

Bartenders and bar managers in Fort Worth’s 7^th Street District are getting hands-on NARCAN training.

A group of them took part in a session so they would know what to do in case of an opioid overdose. It’s part of an effort to equip those working in the nightlife industry with the necessary tools to step in as the first line of defense.

Rarely does nightlife intentionally collide with the world of healthcare, except for an emergency. The IHI Open School student chapter at UNT’s Health Science Center and SaferCare Texas teamed with Fort Worth’s West 7th district bar scene to get ahead of a crisis.

“People can overdose on it very easily, especially if they’re not familiar and they don’t know the strength of what they’re getting from their supplier,” said Joshua Manning, with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

On Wednesday afternoon, the bartenders and managers met at Ampersand and trained with NARCAN samples. Tony Oro, the establishment's director of operations, said his employees are good at spotting potentially dangerous situations and can now add opioid overdose to that list.

“When we talk about NARCAN, in the event that something like that does happen, that they are able to respond to that emergency and they are able to spot it, identify, and also if we can help treat it on the spot before medical crews arrive, that’s always best,” said Oro.

The training happened just as Gov. Greg Abbott launched a statewide NARCAN locator map pinpointing where to find the lifesaving medicine. The Department of State Health Services will maintain the new map.

He released a statement that reads in part:

“Texas must continue to do more until the scourge of fentanyl is completely eradicated from our communities. With this new interactive map, Texans will be able to easily find nearby locations that can provide NARCAN by typing in an address or ZIP code. This is an invaluable tool to ensure that Texans have life-saving medication to protect more innocent lives from being lost to deadly fentanyl.”

Karen Ayala works in the nightlife and healthcare industry and said she’d like to see this training go beyond the West 7^th district. The initiative started when she saw the need for the training after working in the West 7^th bar scene.

“The bar scene is very much a fast-paced scene,” Ayala said. “As a cocktail waitress, we’re going through the crowd and I’m always very hyper-vigilant.”

Oro said it’s good to see local bars unite for a common cause to save lives.

“Now I know that if something happens in another bar, I can go to the bartender or the manager and say, ‘Hey, somebody is having a medical emergency. Do you guys have NARCAN?'” he said.

Participating bars included Ampersand, Shot Cellar, Ship Wreck, Abbey Pub, Riot Room, Pour Decisions, Durty Crow, Distribution Bar, and Rusty Nickle.

The state's interactive map is available online.

Information on opioid overdose response and prevention is also available online.

WHAT IS NARCAN?

Narcan is an over-the-counter prepackaged nasal spray containing naloxone hydrochloride which is an opioid antagonist that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, but only temporarily.

According to the manufacturer, "Narcan nasal spray is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency with signs of breathing problems and severe sleepiness or not being able to respond."

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, naloxone is an FDA-approved medication that is used to reverse an opioid overdose.

SAMHSA said because naloxone is a temporary treatment its effects do not last long and it's critical to obtain medical intervention as soon as possible after administering or receiving naloxone.

WHAT IS NALOXONE?

According to the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse, naloxone is a medicine that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose by attaching itself to opioid receptors and either reversing or blocking the effects of opioids.

"Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose. But, naloxone has no effect on someone who does not have opioids in their system, and it is not a treatment for opioid use disorder. Examples of opioids include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, and morphine.

Naloxone comes in two FDA-approved forms, injectable and as a nasal spray.

Naloxone works for only 30 to 90 minutes and many opioids remain in the body longer than that. It is possible for a person to still experience the effects of an overdose after a dose of naloxone wears off so it's imperative to call 911 or get the overdosing person medical attention as soon as possible after the dose is administered.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 29, 2023, approved selling naloxone without a prescription, setting the overdose-reversing drug on course to become the first opioid treatment drug to be sold over the counter.

A different drug, Opvee (nalmefene) is also an emergency nasal spray medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. Opvee, however, is not approved for over-the-counter use and can only be obtained with a prescription. Nalmefene stays in the body longer than naloxone and may be more effective for overdoses caused by long-acting opioids but it also may come with more opioid withdrawal symptoms.

DOES THE FDA APPROVAL MEAN I CAN BUY NARCAN AT CVS OR WALGREENS?

Yes. Narcan is currently available over-the-counter at pharmacies.

Other brands of nasal sprays (RiVive) and injectables may also soon be available over the counter.