Travis County has secured a bulk order of the life-saving drug naloxone in an effort to prevent opioid deaths. The shipment comes after the county issued an emergency declaration triggered by a record-high number ofAt an announcement Monday, Austin Public Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes said the county had secured 9,900 doses of naloxone, which counteracts the effects of opioid overdoses. She said she hopes pharmacies in Travis County request the drug.
"We are urging all pharmacies to request stocks of naloxone and for their shelves so that it will be more accessible in our community," she said."We must address the systemic issues that are leading to the opioid abuse problem that we see in our country and in our county.” The doses were provided to the county by the nonprofit humanitarian aid group Direct Relief and will be distributed locally by the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance.