People Who Use Drugs Are The First Responders to the Overdose Crisis

What You Need To Know

• When given easy access to naloxone the vast majority of overdose reversals are completed by people who use drugs because they are the true first responders in this overdose crisis.

• Providing low barrier, abundant access to naloxone directly to people who use drugs and their social networks is a lifesaving strategy to prevent fatal overdoses.

• Studies suggest that expanding naloxone distribution to people at highest risk for opioid overdose should be prioritized and that redirecting spatial distribution of naloxone to areas with the greatest need will improve both effectiveness and efficiency and reduce geospatial health inequality.

Where to Go for More Information

• Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution: Best Practices for Syringe Services Program

• Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Within Syringe Service Programs - United States, 2019

Examples

• Remedy Alliance

• NEXT Distro

• DOPE Project
  

Research

• Achieving the Potential of Naloxone Saturation by Measuring Distribution

• OEND program design should prioritize PWUD’s perspectives and direct community naloxone distribution.

• Comparing Projected Fatal Overdose Outcomes and Costs of Strategies to Expand Community-Based Distribution of Naloxone in Rhode Island

• Estimating naloxone need in the USA across fentanyl, heroin, and prescription opioid epidemics: a modelling study.

• Modeling of overdose and naloxone distribution in the setting of fentanyl compared to heroin - an annual life saved for every 77 kits

Leaders To Know

• Dan Bigg He created the first community-based naloxone distribution program in the 90’s, despite it being illegal at the time. He paved the way for today’s distribution efforts.