‘123 opioid misuse cases, 6 overdoses’
Since 2020, there have been a total of 123 encounters of confirmed and suspected opioid misuse and a total of six overdoses involving opioids, according to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. yesterday.
Of these encounters, Naloxone was administered for five overdose cases and two misuse cases, according to Eleanor Cabrera, director of development at the executive office of CHCC.
Naloxone is a medication used to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids.
Cabrera brought up opioid misuse and overdoses in expressing CHCC’s support of two bills involving opioids during the House of Representatives Health and Welfare Committee meeting.
Rep. Malcolm Jason Omar (Ind-Saipan), who chairs the House Health and Welfare Committee, is the principal author of H.B. 23-23 and 23-25.
H.B. 23-23 seeks to establish CNMI Drug Overdose Policy; to authorize and mandate first responders to possess opioid overdose reversal medication; to authorize standing orders for opioid overdose reversal medication; and to provide limited immunity for dispensing opioid overdose medication.
H. B. 23-25 proposes to amend provisions of the CNMI Good Samaritan Act to protect and encourage opioid overdose reversal administration by granting limited immunity from civil liability.
The committee later agreed to recommend the passage of the two legislations.
While there has not been a surge of opioid misuse and overdose in the CNMI and the Commonwealth has not been struck by opioid overdose fatalities, Cabrera said these encounters are indicators that the CNMI is not unaffected by these concerns.
She said the CNMI should enable its healthcare system and first responders to be prepared in critical gaps of time to reverse an opioid overdose and save a life.
“We can all agree that even one single substance opioid overdose fatality in our small community will be too many,” the director said.
She said the two legislations have the potential to have a profound impact on prevention and response measures.
Cabrera said Good Samaritan amendments to protect individuals, including first responders, that will allow them to administer Naloxone during an overdose emergency are critical components.
She said ensuring that Naloxone is readily available to first responders is also addressed in the bill.
Overall, Cabrera said, authorizing the use of Naloxone is a critical strategy to keep the CNMI protected from the opioid epidemic that has claimed too many lives in the U.S. and territories.
Three years ago, Cabrera was part of a team at CHCC to establish a CNMI-wide prevention and surveillance measures of opioid and other substances misuse, abuse, and overdose. Essential public education campaigns were initiated to raise awareness about the dangers of opioids, risk of overdose and the availability of Naloxone.
Cabrera said systems were put in place to track and monitor encounters in emergency rooms and health centers across the CNMI involving opioid and other drug misuse and overdose as well as the administration of Naloxone to reverse symptoms of opioid overdose.
Rep. Malcolm Jason Omar
