On this episode of White Coat Wednesday, we sit down with fourth-year medical student Jacob Bassin and discuss his initiative to combat the increasing opioid death rate in the United States. Inspired by his brother's overdose death, Jacob Bassin initiated a training program on how to administer naloxone (also known as Narcan) for UQ-Ochsner medical students.
Louisiana's overdose death rate is nearly double the national average, with 95% of deaths caused by fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. Narcan can reverse opioid overdoses almost instantly, but its cost poses a challenge, especially for those struggling with addiction.
A group of 86 UQ-Ochsner students completed the training provided by the Metropolitan Human Services District this January and walked away with a dose of Narcan to keep on them in case of an emergency.
Jacob came across the program led by Dr Bonnie Milas at the University of Pennsylvania who aims to raise awareness and train medical students. Dr Milas suffered two tragic deaths in her family and now dedicates her work to deepening public understanding of the live-saving approach.
Initially motivated to train all UQ-Ochsner medical students, Jacob is now determined to extend the Narcan training initiative to other medical schools in the state of Louisiana. And why stop there? He is also looking at nursing and physician assistant students, striving to arm as many individuals as possible with this life-saving medication.
"Something took my brother away, and I want to know more about it and then turn that into something positive," Jacob explained, emphasising his commitment to making a meaningful difference.
