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In This Issue
- A Note from the Naloxone Distribution Team
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New Guidance from VDH
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Program Reminders
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Distribution Data
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Presentations
- New Partner Resources
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Promising Practices
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A Note from the VDH Naloxone Distribution Team
Happy new (fiscal) year, naloxone partners! As we move into state fiscal year 2025 (SFY25), we continue to build and evolve the Naloxone Distribution Program to best serve the high-priority organizations and individuals across the Commonwealth with the greatest need for support from this program. A few highlights to share from SFY24:
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Welcomed 150 new partner organizations to the Naloxone Distribution Program. While some of these may have been partners with previously expired MOUs, many were brand new to the program!
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Shipped over 140,000 naloxone kits to partners in SFY24, a nearly 20% increase in distribution from SFY23!
Thank you for your continued partnership and participation in the Naloxone Distribution Program.
- The Naloxone Distribution Team
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What's New?
The Pharmacy Partner Hub
The VDH Pharmacy Partner Hub is live! As of July 1, 2024, the Pharmacy Partner Hub has replaced the application and order REDCap surveys for all partners except Local Health Districts.
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All external partners will use the Pharmacy Partner Hub to apply for a naloxone agreement and order naloxone and test strips.
- If you currently have an agreement with VDH for no-cost naloxone, but have not yet registered in the Pharmacy Partner Hub, please register here: apply for a naloxone agreement.
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Registration will require you to answer the same application questions you answered when your organization originally applied for an agreement. This does not mean you are receiving a new agreement. Organizations with agreements already in place will be automatically approved and your agreement will remain effective until its expiration date.
Local health districts, with the exception of locally administered health districts, will continue to utilize the REDCap Order Form to order naloxone and test strips until further notice. Health departments will transition to ordering naloxone and test strips through WebVISION Pharmacy Drugs in early SFY25. We will inform LHDs about specific deadlines as they become available.
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Box Sign
VDH has recently transitioned from DocuSign to Box Sign. Box Sign is a secure service that VDH uses to collect signatures and execute agreements. We strongly recommend adding noreply@box.com to your email contacts or safe senders list today to make sure any future notifications are not routed to your spam folder.
As a Reminder...
August 31, 2024 is International Overdose Awareness Day, a day of global recognition and remembrance of loved ones that have been lost to overdose. This day also serves as an encouragement to raise awareness for prevention education, support and recovery in order to help end overdose deaths.
If you are hosting an Overdose Awareness Day event or training in your community, we would love to hear about it! Please share your stories with us via email at opioidreversal@vdh.virginia.gov.
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Naloxone Distribution Data – SFY24
In SFY24, The Naloxone Distribution team shipped 140,615 naloxone kits to partners across the Commonwealth. The chart below shows naloxone kits shipped by partner type in SFY24 (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024).
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Upcoming Presentations
Upcoming Opioid Abatement Authority Online “Abatement Academy” workshops that may be of interest to partners:
August 29, 2024, at 10 a.m.
Virginia's NEW naloxone distribution plan and statewide contract for naloxone purchase.
Virginia Department of Health Naloxone Distribution team: Stephanie Wheawill, Alexis Page, Gretchen Dunne, Carolyn Lamere
September 12, 2024, at 10 a.m.
Financial management of opioid settlement funds (including grants) for Virginia cities and counties.
Virginia Lovell (Asst. Director of Finance, City of Newport News), Adam Rosatelli (OAA Director of Finance)
September 26, 2024, at 10 a.m.
Preparing your OAA grant application, Part 1: Types of OAA grants, eligible projects, availability of funds, and how to make your application more competitive.
Charlie Lintecum (OAA Director of Operations)
In Case You Missed It...
Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at 10 a.m.
Naloxone for First Responders Webinar, in collaboration with Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police (VACP) Naloxone Program for First Responders
Intended Audience: First Responders, including law enforcement, corrections, probation and parole, licensed EMS, fire service, department of juvenile justice.
New Resources for Partners
VDH recently posted a new "Prescription vs. OTC Naloxone Requirements" guidance document to the Naloxone Distribution Webpage. This document details the requirements that apply to the naloxone nasal spray that partners receive from VDH at no-cost.
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Promising Practices
In this issue, we are featuring some promising practices for naloxone distribution from the Arlington County Community Services Board.
Arlington County Community Services Board, Arlington, VA
"In Arlington, building and strengthening community partnerships is key to our successful naloxone distribution. We utilize trusted community members and organizations to spread the word about the importance of naloxone and its availability. We leverage these relationships and host tables at their events so we can better target indicated groups for naloxone distribution.
We value community voice and the voices of people who use drugs. We listen to input from community members, such as what they still need to know about naloxone, and the best ways to engage them. We regularly seek feedback and utilize volunteers with lived and living experience to talk about naloxone and destigmatize carrying it.
Some of our promising practices include:
- Meeting people where they are at (i.e. food bank, apartment buildings, local events/festivals, treatment centers, etc).
- Pop-ups in areas with higher overdose and/or substance related police calls.
- Training CSB staff to identify individuals who fall into an indicated group and provide a brief naloxone training in the moment and dispense naloxone at that time.
- Decreasing barriers to access by mailing naloxone out by request.
- Offering 24/7 access to naloxone in Crisis Intervention Center/Emergency Services department."
Want to share your promising practices with the Naloxone Distribution Team? Please send us an email!
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We want to hear from you!
If you have questions or feedback, please contact the Naloxone Distribution Team.
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