Seattle Public Libraries authorizes staff to administer Narcan for overdoses

Seattle Public Libraries is planning to allow trained staff members to administer Narcan for those who overdose on library grounds.

The drug, also known by the generic name naloxone, is used to quickly counteract opioid drug overdoses.

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Staff will not be required to administer Narcan to library visitors who appear to be overdosing on opioids. Instead, they will only be trained to administer the drug on a volunteer basis.

As a result, Narcan may not be available at library locations that have no staff volunteers to administer it.

“In other words, there is no guarantee that a patron who overdoses on library grounds will receive naloxone,” The Seattle Public Library said in its shelf talk blog.

The drug is not yet available at libraries. It has been ordered and will be put in first aid kits for staff use only.

Training sessions for staff who are interested in volunteering are being secured.

“We expect these steps to be completed in the next few months,” the library said in its blog.

Calling 911 will still be the first step for a library staff member who finds a visitor who appears to have overdosed.

Library officials reviewed the issue over the last several months with guidance on liability from the Seattle City Attorney’s Office and an examination of other city department practices.

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