CRANBERRY TWP — The opiod overdose antidote Naloxone, also called Narcan, has saved countless lives around Pennsylvania in recent years.

But saving a life using Narcan does little to correct the underlying problems leading to drug abuse and many users are revived by Naloxone multiple times, members of the medical community say.

“There has got to be a better way than giving people Narcan and saying 'see you later,'” said Ted Fessides, deputy chief with Cranberry Township EMS.

To encourage drug users to seek professional help and get clean, the EMS recently started a new program called “Another Way.”

Anytime a person is revived using the antidote, whether it be paramedics, a police officer or a family member, the EMS will hand them a postcard with information about local drug rehabilitation facilities.

The front of the card informs them that they have been saved by Naloxone and reads “If you are ready for a change or want help, please contact one of the organizations listed on the back of this card.”

The back lists contact information for three facilities in the Cranberry area: Discovery House, 301 Smith Drive, Suite 3, Cranberry Township; Brooktree Health Services, 6500 Brooktree Road, Suite 101, Wexford; and Gateway Rehab, 1659 Route 228, 5-6, Cranberry Township.

Even when Naloxone is administered by someone other than paramedics, an ambulance is still dispatched to check on the patient. Naloxone, while effective, doesn't always work and it is still recommended for the patient to go to a nearby hospital and get checked out.

However, many patients will sign a waiver and refuse further service, leaving them able to overdose again, Fessides said.

“That's a very vulnerable time, they've been on death's doorstep and they came back. Hopefully at that moment we'll leave these cards and they will say, 'Hey I almost died on this, maybe it's time for a change.'” he said.

Fessides said he got the idea for the program from an EMS trade magazine. A similar campaign, titled “Your Life Matters,” was started by a firefighter named Mike Dunn in Florida.

He said he hopes other ambulance companies in the area will hear about the campaign and will be interested in carrying the cards or making their own version.

The department had 1,000 cards printed, which came at a relatively small cost, he said. They already have had one woman who heard about the campaign and stopped by the station to pick one up to give to a relative.

Even if most of the cards are cast aside, it will only take one person for the effort to have been worth it, Fessides said.

“If 9,999 just ignore, but that one person uses it, it was worth it. We can't do much once they've tried it, but we can work toward getting them off it,” he said.

For more information about Cranberry Township EMS, visit www.cranberrytownshipems.org.