Under Wyoming law, any person can go to a pharmacy and ask for a prescription of naloxone, which is a medication that temporarily reverses an opioid overdose.
Now, the Campbell County School District's Board is considering instituting a policy that would allow trained staff to carry and administer it on school grounds.
Under the proposed policy, staff members like nurses, teachers and coaches would receive training to administer naloxone, or what many know as Narcan, in the case of an opioid overdose.
Campbell County School District Human Resources Director Larry Reznicek said there have been two overdoses in the district and some in the community in the last couple of years, and that's what got the district's nurse staff thinking.
"We think it will help the public. We think it's being good stewards," he said.
Reznicek added that carrying the Narcan, which comes in the form of a nasal spray, is like any other safety protocol.
"This would also go along with the automatic defibrillators in our buildings, along with the epinephrine. Our buildings are very public areas, we have a lot of folks that use them. And also we want to protect our staff and students in case something bad happens in the school," he said.
Reznicek said the district would apply for some state grants to pay for the cost of the medication.
The district will hold two public meetings on the proposed policy before the school board votes for official approval.
Have a question about this story? Contact the reporter, Catherine Wheeler, at cwheel11@uwyo.edu.
