Future Doctors, Immediate Impact: Overdose Prevention Committee Delivers Overdose Training on Campus

Written by Phil De Vera, CHSU-COM Student & OPC Internal Education Sub-Chair

Opioid overdose is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the United States. As future physicians, the ability to accurately recognize and properly respond to a potential opioid overdose is a crucial skill to possess, no matter which specialty each student pursues.

Narcan (naloxone) administration is a life-saving skill; yet, many individuals in the community lack the proper knowledge and training to administer it effectively. Therefore, as part of the first-year clinical skills curriculum, The Developing Physician, the Overdose Prevention Committee (OPC) at the California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM) assumes the role of annually training all incoming first-year osteopathic medical students (OMS-Is) on appropriate opioid overdose recognition and response, in addition to proper intranasal Narcan (naloxone) administration.

This year, the OPC trained the entire OMS-I class, excluding individuals who had received Narcan (naloxone) training prior to the start of the academic year. This year’s training was developed by OPC Board Members Brooke Guenther, Phil De Vera, Abigail Grigoryan, Noa Gorgas, and Aarti Dixit, and approved by OPC Faculty Advisor, Francisco Ibarra, PharmD, BCCCP, Adjunct Associate Professor of
Biomedical Education.

Each training session consisted of a didactic portion, followed by a practical session that emphasized one-on-one learning to ensure every student left feeling confident in their ability to recognize and respond to a potential opioid overdose. As part of the training, students also completed a pre- and post-survey to help gauge their knowledge before and after the training session.

One participant shared, “The Narcan training was clear and efficient, and although I entered unfamiliar with what it was, I left with a strong understanding of Narcan and how to help a person with a suspected overdose.”

The Overdose Prevention Committee at CHSU-COM remains committed to hosting events on and off campus to educate more individuals on opioid overdose prevention and response. The intent is to better target the rise in opioid overdose deaths in the United States through proper education and hands-on practice.