After years of devastating increases in overdoses across the U.S., some good news finally emerged late last year. Between August 2023 and August 2024, overdose deaths in the U.S. saw the most significant decrease over a 12-month period

in U.S. history, with a 22% drop. Experts believe that Narcan played a role in this notable reduction in preventable overdose deaths.

Narcan, the easy-to-use nasal spray version of the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone, has been made widely available in recent years and can now be accessed over the counter in many pharmacies and drug stores. In fact, many top health officials recommend that every American carry it with them to act fast and save a life in the event of an overdose. Furthermore, the National Safety Council recommends workplaces obtain Narcan, stating that close to 10% of deaths in the workplace are due to opioid overdose. Yet many businesses are slow to get on board. This puts lives at risk.

How Narcan Works

Narcan nasal spray displaces opioids from opioid receptors in the body, blocking their effects, which include dangerously slowed breathing, slowed heart rate, pinpoint pupils, and altered or lost consciousness. This works to reverse overdose and restore normal breathing within minutes.

Narcan nasal spray can be safely administered by any layperson who may be unsure which substances the overdosing person used. This is because naloxone has virtually no effect on someone who has not taken opioids. Since Narcan only blocks the opioid receptors, if no opioids are in the system, nothing happens.

Why Your Organization Needs Narcan

As a nurse, I’ve long been aware of the benefits of Narcan, but it really hit me one quiet day when I heard a loud cry for help that reminded me of a Code Blue in the hospital. (This is a situation that all of us nurses are familiar with—one associated with an alarming scene involving an increasingly confused individual who becomes unresponsive within seconds.) Only this time, it didn’t happen in a hospital. It happened in my community.

Narcan was instantly administered as a nasal spray. Within minutes, the patient’s color returned. They started breathing again. EMS responders arrived on the scene and safely transported them to the hospital. They lived.

Every time I recount this experience, it serves as a stark reminder of the days before Narcan was readily available. An opioid overdose—especially one involving the extremely potent synthetic opioid fentanyl—was likely to result in death, especially if medical responders could not intervene in time. With Narcan, the average layperson can reverse the effects of the overdose before first responders even arrive on the scene.

We have a relatively inexpensive, easy-to-administrate drug at our disposal, yet it’s still not readily available in many workplace first aid kits.

Many businesses might think it’s unnecessary to have it on hand. Many may never anticipate an employee, customer, or passerby suffering an opioid overdose. Ideally, they’d be right. But as opioids continue to wreak havoc across the country, having Narcan could quite literally be the difference between life and death for someone.

Overdoses may have dropped, but thousands upon thousands of people continue to lose their lives to overdose. Since 2021, there have been more than 100,000 overdose deaths each year in the U.S, and a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that approximately 1 in 3 adults report knowing someone who has died of a drug overdose. Businesses can play a crucial role in lowering these numbers by making Narcan available.

Having Narcan Isn’t Enough, You Must Empower Employees to Use It

However, while procuring Narcan is a great start, businesses must go the extra mile to ensure employees feel confident in using it. Businesses need to offer training, encourage the use of Narcan in emergency situations, and make clear they will not penalize those who administer it.

Having a sense of safety in administering Narcan is key to helping prevent needless deaths. I’m proud of the state of California–and many other states–for their Good Samaritan laws that provide legal protection for individuals who administer this medication in an overdose emergency. During Narcan training, businesses should help employees understand both their legal protections and the fact that Narcan is safe to administer even when it is unclear if the person used opioids.

Preparation Saves Lives

When an overdose happens, there is no time to delay. There is no time to go searching for Narcan. Businesses should have it readily available, provide staff training, and make sure all employees know where to find it.

For anyone who suspects someone has overdosed, act fast. (Remember, you don’t need to be sure the person has taken opioids in order to administer Narcan.) Assess the situation, administer Narcan, and call 9-1-1. Wait with the person until first responders arrive on the scene.

My hope is that one day, Narcan can be as readily available as ibuprofen or a bandage in a first aid kit. In the midst of an overdose epidemic, this medication is an absolute essential for any workplace.

With the right tools, knowledge, and sense of empowerment, anyone can prevent a deadly opioid overdose.

NARCAN can be purchased over the counter at your local pharmacy or online. Business leaders may visit narcan.com/workplace for more information on procuring Narcan for their organizations.

The post Businesses Drag Their Feet on Narcan, But Overdoses Won’t Wait first appeared on Daily Nurse.