Narcan in schools: Huntley School District 158 stocks overdose-reversing drug per new Illinois law

Huntley Community School District 158 now has overdose-reversing medication on hand as required under a new Illinois law.

The law mandates that school districts have opioid antagonists such as Narcan, generically known as naloxone, on hand, but an exception is made if the district can’t get any because of a shortage. The law took effect in January; previous to that schools were allowed to stock opioid-reversing drugs but it was not required.

Narcan has been added to the list of “undesignated” drugs that schools can carry, meaning they are not prescribed to specific students, but schools keep them on hand for emergencies. That can also include EpiPens for allergic reactions and asthma medication.

School nurses or other trained staff are allowed to give undesignated Narcan if they suspect someone is overdosing, according to district policy. The FDA approved Narcan last year for over-the-counter use, which was alluded to in updates the school board approved in January.

District 158 officials discussed the addition of Narcan, among other updates to its medicine policy, during a Parent Teacher Advisory Committee meeting last week.

District Superintendent Jessica Lombard said the policy evolves over time and “more and more [medication] has been added as undesignated.”

The district’s medication policy also came up in recent months when the board declined to act on a proposal by the Grafton Township Republican Party to ban the administration of gender-affirming care. Existing policy already requires parental consent for any medication to be given in the schools. Board member Michael Thompson later brought forth a proposal about counseling that would require parents to be notified within 48 hours of starting counseling about topics such as “gender identity, depression, and/or thoughts or concerns of self-harm.”

The proposal was not approved and it appears the board is unlikely to revisit the topic soon. “It’s kind of a tabled issue,” school board President Andy Bittman told the Northwest Herald of gender-affirming care. “That’s not an issue that to me is burning.”