PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland nonprofit located in Old Town is in need of easier access to the medicine Narcan, which can reverse the effects of a fentanyl overdose.
Blanchet House provides food, clothing and shelter for the houseless community. Just last week, staff members had to step in three times when people were seen overdosing. Director of Services and Volunteer Coordinator Ami Prevec was one of the staff members who administered the Narcan.
"It was pretty scary," Prevec said. "I had not done it before but my training had definitely kicked in."
Executive Director Scott Kerman said Blanchet House would like lawmakers to make the life-saving treatment a lot cheaper if not free for entities that serve the public.
"Narcan can cost ninety dollars a dose and it can take three to four doses to revive somebody because the strength of the fentanyl that people are using right now," Kerman said.
Kerman said they don't ever want to be in a situation where they run out of Narcan. It's located all over the Blanchet House building and staff members are trained in how to use it. He said if they can save lives, they can change lives.
"There should be a system where we could go online, fill out an easy form and say this is what we need and it will arrive," Kerman said.
Mike Godfrey has been homeless in the Old Town neighborhood for about nine months. He uses the services at Blanchet House and agrees they need more Narcan. Godfrey said he's had friends die from fentanyl overdoses.
"A lot of us homeless carry Narcan just in case too, because you never know," Godfrey said. "It's hard to find but if someone has it for us, we're going to get it and use it."
Kerman said they still have a large supply of the medicine, they have been carrying it for a couple of years.