Podcast 820: Who Qualifies for Take-Home Naloxone

Oct 11, 2022

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Emergency Medical Minute - Who Should Get in the Lock Zone?

00:00 • 4min

Contributor: Don Stader, MD

Educational Pearls:

Home naloxone is traditionally given to those at high risk for opioid overdose such as those in the ED due to an opioid overdose, opioid intoxication, or admit to illicit opioid use
There are a number of other patient populations that benefit from home naloxone including those on chronic opioid or benzodiazepine therapy, and those who report any type of illicit drug use

Any illicit drug could be laced with opioids, and those who use drugs are more likely to be present as bystanders when an opioid overdose occurs

Some important tips to remember when prescribing home naloxone

There is often a scannable QR code that instructs bystanders on how to recognize and intervene in an overdose
Inform the patient that naloxone is temporary and those who overdose are at high risk of overdosing again
Provide support and inform the patient that if they decide they would like to enter treatment/rehabilitation programs, they can return to the ED to start that process

References

Strang J, McDonald R, Campbell G, et al. Take-Home Naloxone for the Emergency Interim Management of Opioid Overdose: The Public Health Application of an Emergency Medicine. Drugs. 2019;79(13):1395-1418.

Moustaqim-Barrette A, Dhillon D, Ng J, et al. Take-home naloxone programs for suspected opioid overdose in community settings: a scoping umbrella review. BMC Public Health. 2021;21(1):597.

Summarized by Mark O'Brien, MS4 | Edited by John Spartz, MD & Erik Verzemnieks, MD

In an effort to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in Emergency Medicine, The Emergency Medical Minute is proud to present our 2nd annual Diversity and Inclusion Award. We support increasing the representation of underrepresented groups in medicine and extend this award to individuals applying to emergency medicine residencies during the 2022-2023 cycle. For information on award eligibility and the application process, visit https://emergencymedicalminute.com/edi-award/

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