Overdose Data to Action

Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) is a 5-year cooperative agreement designed to provide local jurisdictions with resources to improve surveillance efforts to inform prevention activities and ultimately reduce the opioid burden. The Mecklenburg County Public Health Department’s OD2A program is working to strengthen and build partnerships across community organizations, health systems, public safety and others with a common goal of reaching people at highest risk of overdose and closing the gaps in access to care and service. At the core of this program is a focus on health equity and reducing health disparities by engaging partners and integrating people with lived experience into all goals and activities. Priority goals to include linkage to and retention of care, harm reduction and enhancing clinician and health systems best practices.

Naloxone Available For Free To The Community

Naloxone Request Form

Prevention Strategies

Each of the prevention strategies are driven and charged by surveillance efforts. Enhanced surveillance allows for rapidly identifying areas involving fatal and nonfatal overdoses. Furthermore, surveillance efforts improve overall coordination and readiness among programs to respond to the opioid epidemic in Mecklenburg County.

For additional information regarding the Overdose Data to Action Program visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

Linkage to and retention to care

Implementation of post overdose response team to provide linkage to care within 72 hours of an overdose

Linkage to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD)

Linkage to wrap around services to include mental health support, transportation, obstetric care, employment, or harm reduction to reduce barriers to care

Implementation of overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs

Harm Reduction

Mitigating harmful consequences of drug use, including infectious disease transmission

Expanding the availability of Narcan in the community

Increasing the connection to harm reduction services to include, but not limited to education on safer drug use, drug checking supplies, wound care kits and syringe access.

Enhancing Clinician and Health System Best Practice

Encouraging and promoting use of the NC Controlled Substance Reporting System

Increasing training and education efforts with a focus on the 2022 CDC Clinician

Practicing Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Pain

Symptoms

Anyone can save a life. Understanding and recognizing when an overdose is occurring can be both critical and life-saving. These are some common signs and symptoms of overdose.

Unresponsiveness or loss of consciousness
Slow, shallow, or irregular breathing
Constricted or smaller pupils
Blue or purple lips or fingertips
Confusion or difficulty staying awake
Cold or clammy skin

Narcan Request and Training

In partnership with the Mecklenburg County Opioid Settlement, the OD2A team is committed to expanding the availability of naloxone within the community.

To request Narcan for yourself, your loved one, or your organization, please e-mail [email protected].
To request training for yourself or organization, please e-mail [email protected].
Watch educational Narcan training videos to learn more about what Narcan is, how it works, and why being prepared for an opioid emergency is so important.

Naloxone Tutorial Youth Fentanyl Awareness Video

Important Laws

Good Samaritan Law

NC General Statute 90‑96.2

Protects from prosecution both the person seeking help and the person needing help in the event of an overdose.

Callers must provide their name to law enforcement or MEDIC to be eligible for legal protections.

Naloxone Access Law

NC General Statute 90‑12.7

Provides protection for those who administer naloxone to someone who is having an overdose, if done so in good faith, they think the person is having a drug overdose and they use reasonable care when giving the naloxone.