Substance Abuse
Our co-hosts dissect Editor-in-Chief Kerri Hatt’s recent article on fentanyl exposure based on her conversation with Simon Taxel, NRP, BA, crew chief and public safety diver with the Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS
Learn more about the real consequences of fentanyl misinformation and educate public safety partners
A poll of nearly 600 EMS1 readers found that a stunning majority are in favor of providers being able to use medical marijuana if their state allows
The Orland Park Fire Protection District and 13 other municipalities are suing several manufacturers, distributors and doctors in state court
Rory Barros spent four months in the hospital, survived 16 surgeries and had his leg amputated after being hit
The CMS reminded state Medicaid directors that existing funding sources can be used to better integrate information systems
Jason Howard confessed to police he took the drugs and has been charged with felony drug possession and misdemeanor theft
Hobart Fire Department paramedic Ron Reed Jr. said he was trying to intubate a man who was suffering an overdose when the man coughed in his face
About two months ago, Pennsylvania became the first state to approve medical marijuana as a treatment for opioid use disorder
The state has authorized 27 organizations across the state to distribute and administer the medication without a prescription
According to figures provided by Acushnet Fire Chief Kevin Gallagher, fentanyl administrations are down 51 percent in New Bedford, Fairhaven and Acushnet
The day can hopefully provide a life-saving option for those at risk of opioid overdose, and break down the stigmas
The opioid deflection program is a six-month pilot that will give opioid addicts the ability to be quickly placed into treatment with no risk of jail
The city’s lawsuit takes aim at more than a dozen firms, arguing their actions to promote prescription opioids have caused an addiction crisis
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences tested 13 flyers after a sergeant was hospitalized, and all tests came back negative
Effective July 1, doctors will not be allowed to prescribe more than seven days’ worth of opioid medication for patients with acute pain
Officials said the sergeant to feel light-headed after she came across the flyer on her windshield as she left work
Sharing data across EMS agencies is one of the most effective ways to combat the opioid crisis in communities
Police said Scott Sampson crashed into an ambulance that was being used for driver training while his 1-year-old son was with him in the vehicle
The label “overdose capital” came after powerful drugs such as fentanyl and carfentanil began to saturate the streets
The Georgia Overdose Prevention has trained hundreds of people to administer naloxone and is responsible for at least 1,347 lifesaving reversals
The House passed 38 bills that address addiction, recovery and pain management alternatives, with 21 more bills on the calendar
Last year, Denver’s Central Library trained 350 staff members, more than half its personnel, to administer naloxone
A new electronic system has reduced the amount of opioids the department ordered by nearly 46 percent in the past two years
“My goal is to make sure another family doesn’t have to experience the same tragedy we did,” Paul Besaw’s wife Dawn said
A section chief from St. Louis considers the scope and impact of opioid response on EMS providers and the role they play in combating the crisis
Innovative community paramedicine programs may offer a strategy to evolve EMS response from resuscitation to a recovery-oriented system of care
Is widespread naloxone administration by non-medically trained responders preventing overdose patients from reaching definitive care?
EMS can apply the four-lens foundation for the science of improvement to reducing opioid overdose deaths within their communities
Training, PPE and scene assessment will minimize the risks of opioid exposure to fire and EMS responders
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that around more than 8,400 opioid-related deaths occurred among adults between the ages of 25 and 34
The voluntary recall was prompted by the potential for “loose particulate matter on the syringe plunger,” which could result in a range of adverse effects
Officer Brian Wynn helps drug addicts get help disconnecting from heroin and other opioids
