(NewsNation) — The city of San Francisco discreetly instituted a pilot program that gives homeless methamphetamine users “chill packs” containing antipsychotic medication, which has helped reduce the rate of emergency services.
The program, first introduced two years ago, involves medical professionals at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital’s Psychiatric Emergency Services giving some patients “chill packs” containing four doses of olanzapine, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Olanzapine is commonly used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and can help users cope with paranoia, delusions and hallucinations, and patients are instructed to take the tablets when they’re experiencing psychiatric side effects.
The packs are not intended to treat methamphetamine addiction but rather provide short-term relief for side effects, the outlet reported.
Dr. Phillip Coffin, medical director for the city’s Center on Substance Abuse and Health, described the “chill pack” program as potentially “the next Narcan,” or overdose prevention kit, for treating the psychiatric side effects of stimulants, according to the Chronicle.
Researchers with the San Francisco Department of Public Health recently studied the health records of 92 methamphetamine users who were given “chill packs” between January 2022 through May 2023 and found that the rate of psychiatric emergency service visits dropped 32% in the first two months after they got a pack as compared to the two months prior.
The outlet reported that the rate dropped to 13% after six months.
San Francisco has been trying to combat a drug crisis that has overburdened its emergency rooms.
The number of overdose deaths involving both stimulants, like meth and fentanyl, has increased 50 times since 2010, according to a study at the University of California study.
