PHS Officers Provide Opioid Overdose Response Training

Cdr. Daniel Goldstein conducts an opioid overdose response training class.

Prompted by Surgeon General Jerome Adams’ 2018 advisory urging Americans to carry naloxone—an opioid antagonist—to reverse the effects of an overdose, PHS officers at NIH began offering opioid overdose response training.

So far, 75 sessions have been held. As of December 2019, 1,375 NIH staff have completed the training. Recently, the Maryland department of health reported an 11 percent decline in opioid-related deaths compared to the first half of 2018.

Opioid overdose response training classes are available in 2020 for anyone interested in attending the 1-hour session that includes a lecture on the opioid crisis, signs to recognize for an overdose and how naloxone works. 

After the lecture, there is a hands-on training with scenarios and test kits to administer naloxone. The weekly trainings are in the FAES classrooms in Bldg. 10; NIH intramural staff are encouraged to attend. To sign up, visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c4dada72ba2fc1-hands.

For more information, contact Cdr. Leo Angelo Gumapas, leoangelo.gumapas@nih.gov, (301) 832-4320. Individuals who need reasonable accommodation to participate should contact Gumapas and/or the Federal Relay (1-800-877-8339).