Justin Prakaiphetkul, USC Mann PharmD Candidate, 2026
AAPP-USC Student Chapter President
Cynthia Lee, USC Mann PharmD Candidate, 2027
AAPP-USC President-Elect
Opioid overdose deaths remain a prevalent issue throughout the United States, with over 81,000 reported deaths due to opioid overdose in 2023 (CDC, 2024). There is an urgent need to spread awareness regarding drugs of abuse and counterfeit drugs, as well as to reduce harm in our communities. The AAPP-University of Southern California (USC) student chapter has established our NaloxoneSC Program to do just that.
NaloxoneSC distributes harm reduction supplies and provides education (recognizing signs of opioid overdose, using harm reduction supplies to reverse opioid overdoses) at outreach events. NaloxoneSC was founded in April 2021 by Board-Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist, Dr. David Dadiomov, and pharmacy students from the AAPP USC Collegiate Chapter, as part of ongoing harm reduction efforts in Los Angeles County. NaloxoneSC is a student-led and student-run program that provides the general USC community (students, faculty, staff, and their families) with free naloxone and fentanyl test strips. Over the past three and a half years, we have distributed over 7000 naloxone nasal sprays and thousands of fentanyl test strips.
When naloxone became available over the counter in 2023, NaloxoneSC took full advantage of this change to further increase the accessibility of naloxone on campus. Previously, those interested in obtaining a naloxone kit were required to complete naloxone training and pass an assessment to receive their free kit from one of the USC student health centers. This requirement has been lifted and we now coordinate naloxone distribution via multiple methods.
We order naloxone and fentanyl test strips through the Naloxone Distribution Project via the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). These harm reduction supplies are given to student health centers for community distribution. Student health centers utilize a fishbowl method – individuals can obtain harm reduction supplies simply by walking into a student health center on one of our two campuses (undergraduate or health sciences) during their hours of operation. In addition to being available at student health centers, on-campus vending machines are kept stocked with naloxone. We have further expanded our reach to include distribution to patients of the Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services at our undergraduate campus. Our organization also participates in multiple tabling events, such as the USC Student Health Annual Open House, where naloxone and fentanyl test strips are distributed and education on use is provided to attendees.
Although the requirement to complete training prior to receiving naloxone has been removed, we continue to host annual naloxone training workshops to educate pharmacy students on how to recognize signs of an opioid overdose and proper naloxone administration technique. Our education efforts extend to the wider community through members of our AAPP USC Collegiate Chapter board who present on topics such as Suicide Prevention, Stress Awareness and Kindness, and Anti-Bullying and Mental Wellness.
It is difficult to accurately quantify the extent to which our supplies have contributed to opioid overdose reversals. Nonetheless, we continue to receive anecdotal reports of opioid overdose reversals from individuals across campuses. In an attempt to quantify the extent of our assistance, we created an anonymous form in May 2022 for students to document instances of overdose reversals using our supplies. So far, we have received four reports via this form.
We aspire to continue to grow NaloxoneSC and strive to educate Los Angeles communities – including our own USC students – on recognizing signs of opioid overdose. AAPP USC will continue to find ways to distribute harm reduction supplies throughout our Los Angeles community. We welcome any suggestions on how to enhance our program and initiatives, as well as any collaborations with other AAPP student chapters across the state and nationally as we are eager to implement new ideas to further our mission of raising awareness about harm reduction to save lives.
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