Rise in bystanders using opioid overdose antidote to save lives

As the United States continues to struggle with the opioid epidemic , a new study found more people with little to no medical training are administering naloxone . The nasal spray, used to reverse an opioid overdose, is becoming more accessible for bystanders to use to help before medical help arrives on a scene.

The study, which was published Monday, Oct. 14, in the medical journal JAMA Open Network , found from June 2020 to June 2022, emergency medical services reported 744,078 patients received naloxone, better known as Narcan, across the U.S.

When breaking it down further, the researchers found that EMS-documented naloxone administration rates fell 6.1% in that time frame.

However, in the same time frame, the percentage of people who were administered naloxone by a layperson before EMS arrived went up 43.5%.

The CDC reported in 2023 it saw a 3% drop in fatal opioid overdoses in the U.S. It was the first decrease since 2018 . Naloxone became available over the counter in September 2023 with an average retail price of about $45 for a two-dose carton.

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