Naloxone

OEND programs exist in many settings and target many potential recipients, including health care settings, jails/prisons, public schools and libraries, and bus and train stations.

Evidence for the intervention

Evidence supporting opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs is summarized in at least eight systematic reviews. These draw mostly from observational study designs, including case series, cohort studies, and quality improvement studies. There are very few randomized controlled trials evaluating OEND programs, largely due to the overwhelming body of real-world evidence supporting naloxone distribution; this is common for interventions with substantial face-value credibility, such as parachutes or epinephrine pens. The few existing randomized controlled trials of OEND programs tend to compare one OEND implementation strategy to another OEND implementation strategy

Evidence-based Scale

Prior studies emphasize the success of OEND programs at key "touchpoints" such as prisons or emergency departments. In addition, naloxone can be successful in many other settings, such as pharmacies, health care settings, public schools, libraries, and bus and train stations. Successful OEND programs tend to be in settings where many people who could potentially benefit from naloxone pass through.