The Authors’ Own Words:  

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work. 

Amount of naloxone used to reverse opioid overdoses outside of medical practice in a city with increasing illicitly manufactured fentanyl in illicit drug supply

Alice Bell, LCSW; Alex S. Bennett, PhD; T. Stephen Jones, MD; Maya Doe-Simkins, MPH; Leslie D. Williams, PhD

Substance Abuse Vol. 40, Iss. 1, 2019

“Even though illicitly manufactured fentanyls (IMF) is more potent than heroin and is a rapidly increasing contributor to drug overdose deaths in Allegheny County, the average dose of naloxone administered has not changed. Our findings are noteworthy because they differ from studies in different areas (MA, for example) also experiencing increasing IMF role in overdose deaths. What’s more, (uncorroborated) media reports about extreme potency of IMF and risks of workplace exposure abound and contribute an element of panic to the topic of opioid overdose and IMF. Our findings have two implications for practice: 1) reassurance that community overdose prevention programs’ naloxone rescue kits are effective in the context of IMF and 2) confirmation that additional investigations are needed to clarify the amount of naloxone necessary in IMF-involved overdoses.“