Ramona Cummings, Chief Programing Officer of Prevention Services at Alliance, spoke with Paper Mag last week about the FDA’s approval to make Narcan over the counter (effective soon.) Ramona celebrated the removal of more barriers to the life-saving medication, and discussed the important role of culturally-competent community providers that offer Narcan as one of many tools in the harm reduction toolkiit, alongside fentanyl test strips, harm reduction counseling, and more.
"Many individuals addressing substance use issues have dealt with a great deal of stigma from providers," said Ramona. "Not just pharmacists, but the medical community in general…The FDA approval is a step in the right direction and an opportunity to open more conversations about the value of harm reduction services, and the availability of choices for participants.”