Naloxone perspectives from people who use opioids: Findings from an ethnographic study in three states.
Miriam Boeri, Aukje K Lamonica
PMID 32251033WHAT IT FOUND
Access to naloxone varied widely by state, with suburban Atlanta users often lacking it entirely.
Many people did not know naloxone existed or confused intoxication with overdose, leading to inappropriate use. Patients may have received multiple doses from peers and EMS.
Key findings
01In suburban Atlanta, naloxone was not available to the majority of people using opioids at the start of the study, and many participants were unaware of its existence.
02Participants frequently confused opioid intoxication with overdose, leading to reports of being administered naloxone when it was not needed.
03There was significant confusion about the efficacy of different delivery systems, with some participants believing intramuscular injection was superior to nasal spray.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was a convenience sample from suburban areas in three specific states, so the findings cannot be generalized to all suburban, urban, or rural populations. Naloxone-specific questions were added partway through data collection, resulting in fewer responses from the Atlanta site compared to the other two. The study relies on self-reported experiences of overdose and naloxone use, which may be subject to recall bias. The study did not assess the clinical outcomes of the naloxone administrations reported by participants.
Declared interests
The paper does not list specific funding sources or conflicts of interest in the provided text, but notes that participants received $40 for their time.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the higher rates of naloxone access and administration in Boston as evidence of a safer community or better health outcomes. The study only describes access and user perspectives; it does not measure whether these practices actually reduced mortality or improved patient safety in these specific suburban settings.