Naloxone OD Antidote

Naloxone: The Second Chance Drug

Naloxone is the antidote that reverses an opioid/opiate overdose. It has been used in ambulances and hospitals for decades to reverse overdose. It's legal and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It works by neutralizing the opioids in your system and helping you breathe again. Naloxone only works if a person has opioids in their system; the medication doesn't work on other drugs. You can't get high from it and it is safe for nearly everyone. It has been used in programs all over the world to effectively reverse opioid overdoses. It's a lifesaver, there's no doubt about it. There are two kinds of naloxone, one that you can squirt up someone's nose and another that can be injected through clothing into a muscle.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports more than 10,000 reversals of overdoses with naloxone by non-medical bystanders! 

Naloxone is also an important tool for empowering communities to protect their health. Reviving an overdose victim can be a very powerful motivator to help people change their behaviors. This fact sheet on naloxone shows examples of how naloxone is empowering. 

Check out these great resources from the Harm Reduction Coalition, including educational materials, manuals, best practice documents, case studies, research and more.

Naloxone is a prescription medication. Visit your doctor to get a prescription. Medicaid, Medicare and most health insurance covers it. If your doctor isn't familiar with naloxone, then direct them to PrescribeToPrevent.org or print out these few pages that explain how to prescribe it.