Lexington officers to carry, administer drug overdose antidote

The Lexington Police Department is finalizing a policy to allow officers to carry and administer the overdose-reversing drug Narcan.

The department has already purchased the Narcan, an opiate antidote used to reverse the effects of drug overdoses, and officers have been trained to use it, police spokeswoman Brenna Angel said. The department has enough doses to equip all officers with the bureaus of patrol and special operations by next week.

With the new policy, officers who arrive at a scene to find a person suffering a drug overdose will be able to act if fire and medical crews have not yet arrived, Angel said.

The Lexington Fire Department has seen a steady increase in the amount of Narcan administered over the last four years, Battalion Chief Joe Best said. Last year there was an average of 107 Narcan administrations a month. This year there have been an average of 149 Narcan administrations a month.

This story was originally published September 9, 2016 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Lexington officers to carry, administer drug overdose antidote."