Despite a new law that goes into effect next week, the state’s emergency medical licensing body said half of Maine's emergency medical providers in Maine have yet to take a mandatory training course on distributing Narcan kits to patients.
Narcan, also known as naloxone, is an overdose reversal medication. In late 2021, Maine Emergency Medical System (EMS) began requiring personnel give naloxone kits to patients after a suspected overdose. The organization started offering a mandatory training course in 2022 to teach providers how to properly distribute the drug to patients. Robert Glaspy, a program coordinator with Maine EMS, said the hour long training course is critical for providers to prevent opioid deaths.
"It’s about awareness [and] it’s about harm reduction," said Glaspy. "And it’s important for [providers] to recognize not only the signs and symptoms of the opioid overdose itself, but anyone who may be in the situation where they may need [naloxone again]."
Maine's legislature passed a law in 2023 requiring emergency medical personnel be able to properly distribute naloxone kits to patients. The law goes into effect on July 1 of this year.
Maine EMS has set a June 30 deadline for the training to be completed.
“I know that for all of those clinicians that have taken this training, it was a priority," Glaspy said. When asked why other providers have not taken the training yet: "That’s a question that the EMS clinician themselves have to face. And they have to answer that as to why.”
A full list of non-compliant providers will be given to the EMS board after the June 30 deadline. Glaspy said it’s possible the board may then choose to take disciplinary action.
