Kanawha Health Department Gets 200 Units of Life-Saving Drug

The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department has received a new tool to help combat drug overdose deaths.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports Dr. Michael Brumage, health officer for the health department, said Thursday that KaleoPharma donated 200 naloxone auto-injector kits to the Kanawha health department to distribute.

The injectors, also known as EVZIO units, are designed to prevent death from an opioid overdose.

Brumage says the devices are pretty easy to use in case of an emergency.

Earlier this year, the company had given more than 2,000 auto-injectors to the Cabell-Huntington Health Department.

Brumage says he’s awaiting his dispensing license, and that the agency already has received naloxone training.

Brumage says the health department will likely dispense the injectors freely, although they’re still considering what limits to put on the practice.