Fearing exposure, some funeral homes stock overdose antidote
BALTIMORE (AP) – Funeral directors in Maryland are increasingly concerned their employees could be exposed to opioids. That’s why some are stocking naloxone, the medication the reverses the effects of an overdose.
The Baltimore Sun reported Friday that funeral directors are calling themselves the “last responders” to the opioid epidemic. The concern is that employees could come into contact with opioids on a dead person’s body or the clothes of a mourner.
Synthetic opioids like fentanyl and carfentanyl can be deadly, even in quantities as small as a grain of salt when inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
The National Funeral Directors Association is recommending members to prepare for the possibility that someone could suffer from exposure. The association has said that members should recognize overdose symptoms and train staff to administer naloxone