The town of Harvard is expected to receive $346,411, distributed over the course of 17 years, to address the opioid crisis. This money is the result of Massachusetts’ participation in a national class action lawsuit, in which drug producer Johnson & Johnson—and drug distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson—settled for a combined $26 billion.
Most of the money will be seen at the beginning of the 17-year period, peaking in 2024.
According to Town Administrator Tim Bragan, the town is waiting for the state Department of Revenue to distribute guidelines on how the money should be used.
The town administrator’s office will likely end up handling the funding when the Department of Revenue releases guidelines, but the Select Board will be working with various departments, such as the Harvard Board of Health, as well as first responders like police and ambulance services, to determine Harvard’s needs and how to appropriately spend this money.
Jason Cotting, director of the Harvard Ambulance Service, said the service encounters opioid overdoses “rarely.” Intranasal naloxone is a required medication on Harvard ambulances, but it often expires before usage.
Cotting said that it’s still important that the EMTs have it available. “When we do need it, it’s a lifesaving medication.”
“Opioid drugs suppress a patient’s respiratory drive, and in an overdose, a patient’s breathing can become very slow or stop altogether. This prevents the patient from getting enough oxygen; … [naloxone] binds preferentially to opioid receptors in the brain, preventing the opioid itself from doing so, and reversing the effects of the drug. Naloxone can restore a patient’s breathing to normal in just a few minutes,” Cotting explained.
He added that anyone in Massachusetts can obtain naloxone from a pharmacy without a prescription and carry it with them. “It’s a very safe medication, very easy to use, and it enables you to save the life of someone who has overdosed,” Cotting said.
To get help obtaining naloxone or in coping with opioid addiction for oneself or a loved one, call the state’s helpline at 800-327-5050 or go to helpinma.org. According to the website, “Narcan standing orders” are available at all Walgreens pharmacies and most CVS pharmacies.
