Written by SAMHSA
Overdose is common among persons who use illicit opioids such as heroin and among those who misuse medications prescribed for pain, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine. The incidence of opioid overdose is rising nationwide. For example, between 2001 and 2010, the number of poisoning deaths in the United States nearly doubled, largely because of overdoses involving prescription opioid analgesics [1]. This increase coincided with a nearly fourfold increase in the use of prescribed opioids for the treatment of pain [2].
To address the problem, emergency medical personnel, health care professionals, and patients increasingly are being trained in the use of the opioid antagonish naloxone hydrochloride (naloxone or Narcan), which is the treatment of choice to reverse the potentially fatal respiratory depression caused by opioid overdose. (Note that naloxone has no effect on non-opioid overdoses, such as those involving cocaine, benzodiazepines, or alcohol [3].)
Based on current scientific evidence and extensive experience, the steps outlined below are recommended to reduce the number of deaths resulting from opioid overdoses [4-9].
The complete SAMHSA document may be accessed using the following link: