The good news is there are strategies we can use to help avoid deaths from opioid overdoses. Five important ones to remember are:
Encourage medical providers, people at high risk, family members, and others to learn how to prevent and manage opioid overdose.
Push for ensured access to treatment for people who are misusing opioids or have a substance use disorder.
Support ready access to naloxone. For more information on naloxone, visit drugabuse.gov.
Encourage people to call 911 in an emergency.
Encourage prescribers to use state prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). For more information on PDMPs, please visit http://www.pdaps.org/.