DUBLIN, Ohio— Today, as part of its Opioid Action Program, Cardinal Health began rolling out its donation of more than 80,000 doses of Narcan, (naloxone HCI) Nasal Spray 4mg, to community organizations who will distribute the life-saving overdose-reversal medication to first responders and law enforcement across Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Cardinal Health is committed to helping communities fight the opioid epidemic. Today’s donation of Narcan will help organizations and first responders keep their community members safe from fatal opioid overdoses and bolster their efforts to curb opioid misuse.

“As part of the frontline response to the opioid crisis, first responders know the importance of Narcan in helping reverse overdoses and save lives,” Chris Wilhite, assistant chief of emergency services for Jessamine County, Kentucky said in a statement. “Today’s donation from Cardinal Health will help Jessamine County EMS crews save lives.”

Narcan Nasal Spray is the only FDA-approved nasal naloxone that does not require assembly or any specialized medical training to use. Adapt Pharma, the manufacturer of Narcan, is supporting Cardinal Health’s effort as part of its overall push to help save the lives of those battling addiction. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine1 and the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis2 both urge expanding access to life-saving medications.

This donation is part of Cardinal Health’s Opioid Action Program, a multi-million dollar, four-state pilot initiative launched last year designed to help some of the nation’s hardest-hit areas fight the opioid epidemic. The program has delivered front-line tools to help prevent opioid abuse and support communities, schools and first responders in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Following the launch of the Opioid Action Program, Cardinal Health initiated a thorough review process of applications submitted by interested and qualified entities in the four pilot states who provide Narcan for first responders and law enforcement. The initial donation announced today to 27 organizations will be followed by additional donations to qualified organizations in the four states in coming weeks.