by Marianne Gasaway
The Clear Lake School Board plans to join a number of other North Iowa school districts who are adding Narcan to their prescription medicine supply.
The School Board was slated to vote Tuesday night on a change to its school policy to allow a dose of naloxone, also known as Narcan, at each of its school buildings. The medication is used to counteract suspected opioid overdose.
The local board first discussed adding Narcan to its medical supply in October after Superintendent Doug Gee said parents and staff had discussed the possibility.
The Iowa legislature passed a bill in June 2022 to allow schools to acquire Narcan. The move was made in response to rising numbers of overdoses nationwide blamed on the increasing presence of fentanyl in illegal drugs. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid between 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. According to the Governor’s office, 83 percent of overdoses from opioids in 2021 involved fentanyl,
The policy under consideration in Clear Lake calls for the district to stock a minimum of one dose of opioid antagonist (Naloxone). The supply must be maintained in a secure, dark, temperature-controlled location in each school building. The school nurse is responsible to routinely check the stock of medication and document in a log bi-annually its expiration date, any visualized particles, or color change.
A school nurse or personnel trained and authorized may provide or administer the medication to a student or individual if they deem necessary. Training to obtain a signed certificate to become personnel authorized to administer an epinephrine auto-injector, and opioid antagonist must consist of requirements established by law.
According to the policy, the district must contact emergency medical services (9-1-1) immediately after epinephrine or opioid antagonist is administered and must report it to the Iowa Department of Education within 48 hours.
The district’s medication supply policy already allowed one pediatric and one adult dose of epinephrine auto-injector to be stocked at each school building.
