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State overdose-prevention coordinator demonstrates naloxone use and distribution through Revive program
Summary
A Virginia Department of Health overdose-prevention coordinator demonstrated naloxone administration, distributed two-dose kits, and outlined a registration/encounter process for replacements; council members asked temperature and storage questions during a brief Q&A.
Dr. L. Merkel, the Virginia Department of Health overdose-prevention program coordinator, provided Petersburg City Council with a concise Revive program briefing and distributed two-dose naloxone nasal-spray kits on May 5. The coordinator described signs of opioid overdose, step-by-step rescue breathing, and the administration sequence for naloxone: call 911, two rescue breaths, administer the first dose, continue rescue breaths, and give a second dose after three minutes if there’s no response.
Dr. Merkel emphasized that naloxone is the only medically approved antidote for an opioid overdose and explained that its effect typically lasts 30–90 minutes while the opioid may remain in the system longer. He explained program logistics: participants sign an encounter form when they receive kits, and the state will replace used or expired doses for registered recipients. In response to council questions about storage, Dr. Merkel said heat can degrade naloxone and suggested replacing kits that had been exposed to high temperatures.
The briefing included printed cheat sheets and instructions; staff offered extra materials in the back of the room for distribution to attendees and council members.
