Donna Klauser, D.D.S. '97, Cert. '00

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Through her non-profit, Donna Klauser, D.D.S. '97, Cert. '00, is working to make Narcan accessible at dental offices and monitor naloxone use outcomes, according to a California Dental Association (CDA) web post.

Klauser, a CDA member, founded a nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that naloxone is accessible to everyone. “My original concept for my nonprofit, CHANGETHERX, was to provide awareness about the opioid crisis,” Dr. Klauser said. She experienced opioid dependance after a difficult surgery 21 years ago and has been dismayed to discover how many addictions begin when patients are prescribed opioids after dental procedures.

Noting the nonprofit’s evolution, Klauser explains, “We now focus on fentanyl because since the pandemic, many of our young people sought relief from anxiety, depression and boredom during isolation by purchasing online medications, not knowing that this medication is dangerously tainted with illicit fentanyl.” Currently, CHANGETHERX is partnering with local government representatives to look for trusted partners in the community to dispense Narcan at no cost and monitor naloxone use outcomes. “We are starting in Southern California and have plans to distribute Narcan throughout California,” says Klauser.