

SafeRx Santa Cruz County (SafeRx) is a local substance use safety coalition comprised of social service, government, behavioral health, and healthcare organizations dedicated to aligning and accelerating best practices for opioids and other substances, as well as current best practice guidelines to reduce death. SafeRx works
towards a healthy, thriving, safe, equitable Santa Cruz County through prevention, increased treatment access (particularly with proven-effective and promising
medications for treating substance use), and evidence-based, harm reduction practices, to improve community well-being and save lives.

SafeRx Santa Cruz County
Información Urgente para la Comunidad
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La naloxona (nombre comercial Narcan®) es un medicamento aprobado por la FDA que salva vidas y que se usa para revertir los efectos de las sobredosis de opioides como la heroína, el fentanilo, la oxicodona, y la morfina.
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Aprenda los signos de una sobredosis y cómo responder para salvar la vida de alguien.
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Entienda los peligrosos de fentanilo y cuáles son las precauciones que usted puede tomar.
Urgent Community Information
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Naloxone (brand name Narcan®) is a life-saving FDA-approved medication that is used to reverse the effects of overdoses from opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, and morphine.
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Learn the signs of an overdose and how to respond to save someone's life.
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Understand the dangers of fentanyl and what precautions you can take.

Reunión del Ayuntamiento Sobre Fentanilo (en español)
En 5 de diciembre 2022, SafeRx Condado de Santa Cruz y PVPSA tuvieron una conversación sobre la crisis actual de fentanilo. Cubrimos qué es el fentanilo, cómo y por qué se usa, y cómo reconocer y responder a una sobredosis a través de un entrenamiento de Naloxona (NarcanⓇ).

Fentanyl Town Hall (English)
On April 25, 2022, SafeRx Santa Cruz County held a conversation with the community about the current fentanyl crisis. We covered what fentanyl is, how and why it is used, and how to recognize and respond to an overdose with Naloxone (NarcanⓇ).
SafeRx
RESOURCES
For the Community
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Resources for youth and families grieving loved ones, Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT), and Spanish speakers
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About the Epidemic
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Medications and Sharps Resources
Complete our Anonymous Youth Survey!
SafeRx is asking for North County student voices in a brief survey to identify student experiences/perspectives around alcohol and other drugs. This survey was developed and distributed by Empower Watsonville youth in South County, and we are excited to hear from youth in North County.
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Deadline extended until December 31st
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Only takes a few moments to complete
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Completely anonymous
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Will inform our next steps in providing necessary services and resources to the youth in our community

History of SafeRx
SafeRx was originally brought together with funding from the California Health Care Foundation in November of 2015 to decrease opioid-related misuse and deaths by focusing on three federal priority areas:
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Safer prescribing practices
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Improved access to medication-assisted substance use disorder treatment
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Increased availability of overdose reversal medication (Naloxone, Narcan)
Today, SafeRx is maintained through funding from the California Public Health Department, Janus' Hub and Spoke grant, and Santa Cruz County Substance Use Disorder Services Prevention Division. Rooted in the unique concept of opioid failure (the medications have failed the patient; the patient has not failed the treatment), SafeRx continues to address the local opioid epidemic.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee meets quarterly to help keep work groups on track
and provide guidance and support to initiative leads in meeting their goals.
Prescriber Practices Initiative
to develop resources for addressing the 3 federal priority areas: supporting safe prescribing, increasing access to MAT, and increasing access to Naloxone
Metrics Initiative
to develop a community dashboard with accurate, relevant, and easily tracked data
Community Education Initiative
to develop and publicize patient and community education messaging around prescription medication safety
PARTNER PROGRAMS
SafeRx MEETINGS
Did we miss something? Let us know by contacting admin@hipscc.org