Bystanders increasingly use naloxone to reverse overdoses, OSU study finds

An Ohio State University study found bystanders are using naloxone in higher quantities to help save people from overdosing on opioids (Source: “Ohio State study finds more bystanders are using naloxone to help people who overdose,” WOSU public media, Oct. 14).
 
The study, published in JAMA, looked at national use of naloxone by people without medical training to treat an opioid drug overdose. The study found more than 744,000 patients had a dose of naloxone between 2020 and 2022. Almost 25,000 of them received naloxone from an untrained bystander.
 
While use of naloxone by untrained bystanders makes up less than 4% of the total administered naloxone doses, it has increased 43% from June 2020 to June 2022, according to data from the National Emergency Medical Services Information System.
 
Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved naloxone for over-the-counter use. Forty-six states and the District of Columbia provide legal immunity for bystanders who help people experiencing an opioid overdose.