A potent mix of cocaine and the synthetic opioid fentynyl led to at least 20 overdoses in West Philly in the past two weeks, including two deaths, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. There weren’t more deaths in part due to the administration of Narcan, the overdose reverser that is saving lives across the city. If you want to learn how to administer it, here’s a good opportunity.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is offering “overdose awareness and reversal training” at the Walnut Street West Library (40^th and Walnut) on Wednesday, June 27 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and again on July 11 and 25 and August 8 and 22 at the same time.  Continue Reading

University City and West Philly residents can now safely dispose of unused prescription drugs by bringing them to the Penn Police headquarters, where a prescription drug take-back box has been installed. The box installation is a part of the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Take-Back Program, which is focused on alleviating the health and safety concerns from the diversion and abuse of prescription drugs.

Improper disposal of prescription drugs can also create environmental hazards impacting groundwater, rivers, and harming wildlife.

Residents are encouraged to dispose of unwanted drugs safely by dropping them in the prescription drug take-back boxes installed around the city, including the new one at 4040 Chestnut Street and  another at 61st and Thompson Streets (19th Police District headquarters). For more drug take-back box locations in Philadelphia, check out this map.  Continue Reading

Mercy Philadelphia Hospital, located in West Philadelphia at 54th and Cedar, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and has some exciting news and events to share with the local community.

Last week, the hospital broke ground on a multi-million-dollar Emergency Department expansion and renovation project, the largest such investment in the department’s history. The investment will dramatically increase the number of available beds, will create new offices and patient areas, and renovate existing facilities. Overall, the project will increase the size of the ED, making it more accessible to members of the community.  Continue Reading

Winter is here and so are winter illnesses. Check out this short educational video from myDoc Urgent Care University City about how to prevent Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URIs), how to treat them, and what to do if your cold symptoms persist. If you’re planning a visit to myDoc Urgent Care, click here for a coupon.

myDoc Urgent Care provides both urgent care and primary care services for patients ranging from toddlers (18 months) to adults. The clinic opened its doors to visitors less than a year ago at 3717 Chestnut St. With onsite xRay, lab testing, and prescription medication, the clinic treats all routine illness and injuries.

What Is Urgent Care?

Before you find yourself sitting for hours in a hospital emergency room and end up with expensive medical bills, here are some things you should know when you or a family member need immediate medical care. You should first contact your primary care physician (PCP), who is your gateway to finding the most appropriate type of care. If your doctor is not available, or if you can’t meet with your doctor when you need medical care, you may choose to visit an urgent care center.  Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of Cedar Park Neighbors.

Philadelphia is on track to record 1,200 drug-overdose deaths this year, according to City health officials. All kinds of people – from police to librarians – are being trained to use Narcan kits to reverse overdoses.

On Monday, Sept. 18, Cedar Park Neighbors is hosting a training on how to reverse an opioid overdose. Prevention Point, a longtime community based organization that has worked with tens of thousands of community members struggling with the effects of opioid addiction, will conduct the training.

The training will include detailed information on how to obtain and administer Narcan™ (naloxone), a medication that, when administered promptly to individuals who are experiencing an overdose, can save their lives. Prevention Point will also provide information on how to obtain this medication.

The training will take place at the Calvary Center Chapel (48th and Baltimore), beginning at 6:30 p.m., and will take approximately 1.5 hours. No RSVP is required, but trainees are asked to be on time and remain for the full training.