A study found that the use of opioid overdose antidotes by laypersons increased by 43% between 2020 and 2022.

 A study found that the use of opioid overdose antidotes by laypersons increased by 43% between 2020 and 2022.

After years of increasing opioid overdoses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 3% decrease in overdose deaths in 2023, marking the first annual decline since 2018. A recent study suggests that the rise in naloxone administration by non-medical bystanders may have played a role in this trend.

 

Efforts to make naloxone—often known as Narcan—more accessible have focused on empowering laypeople to intervene in overdose situations. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that between June 2020 and June 2022, emergency medical services (EMS) documented 744,078 patients receiving naloxone. While EMS-administered naloxone rates dropped by 6.1% during this time, the percentage of individuals receiving naloxone from bystanders before EMS arrived rose by 43.5%.

 

Chris Gage, the study's lead author and an EMS Research Fellow, noted, “The increase of 43.5% indicates that public health efforts are making a difference.” Naloxone works by reversing an overdose and can restore breathing within two to three minutes, typically requiring just one dose. However, experts emphasize the importance of calling 911, as medical assistance may still be necessary.

 

Gage added, “There’s no real medical training required. It’s as simple as spraying Afrin up someone’s nose. Our ultimate goal is to show people they can save a life.” The latest CDC data reflects a broader downward trend in fatal overdoses, which have decreased by as much as 10% over the past year. The significant rise in layperson naloxone usage highlights its growing importance in public health strategies to combat the opioid crisis.

 

Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta, a senior scientist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who was not involved in the study, noted that individuals who successfully reverse an overdose are often likely to intervene in future cases as well. He emphasized the need to ensure that naloxone reaches those who use drugs and their support networks.

 

Despite the positive trends, only 3.4% of the naloxone recipients in the study received the drug from laypeople, and Gage hopes to see this number grow. Since naloxone became available over-the-counter in September 2023, priced around $45 for a two-dose carton, access has improved.

 

Gage stated, “Naloxone is a life-saving medication. In the midst of an opioid epidemic, its over-the-counter availability should increase access for those who need it.” However, barriers remain for some opioid users. Dasgupta pointed out that Narcan has historically been expensive and that states often pay more for naloxone than necessary.

 

He also advocated for greater education about the potential contaminants in drugs, suggesting that drug-checking programs could help users make informed decisions.

 

Gage concluded that the findings from this study could inform policies aimed at mitigating the opioid crisis: “If more laypeople are administering naloxone, hopefully that means fewer people are dying.”