Substance Use Disorders
This section provides EMS professionals with resources and training focused on identifying, managing and responding to patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). Articles cover recognition of drug and alcohol use in the field, treatment best practices, harm reduction strategies, and the evolving role of EMS in the opioid crisis. Learn how to address provider safety, compassion fatigue and stigma, while improving patient outcomes through evidence-based care and community partnerships.
Pill organizers and dispensers that help prevent missed doses, overdoses and interactions
Colorado’s community naloxone distribution program faces a financial shortfall as state funding dwindles, raising concerns for overdose prevention efforts
How will Trump’s campaign promises impact EMS funding, call volume and service quality?
The department is evaluating the facilities and consulting with regulators about “appropriate guardrails”
The Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking emphasized the roles of law enforcement and expanded treatment in the future
The Benadryl challenge was trending on TikTok in 2020, and officials are worried the recent overdoses could mean the challenge is becoming popular again
Lexington’s team has added staffers and expanded to include rapid responses to overdose deaths
The Lexington firefighter was rendering aid to a slumped-over driver when the driver woke up, put the SUV in gear and took off
Joshua Cleland faced felony charges after Liberty Firefighter-Paramedic John Beard died of a fentanyl overdose
The paramedics were treated at Saint Barnabas Hospital for pain and swelling to the face and for a bite wound
The measure moves to the Senate; if it is signed into law, exposures that cause injuries could lead to felony charges
The SAMHSA program is intended to address mental and substance use disorders
College students Livia Cox and Nick Wells co-founded Middletown Harm Reduction Initiative, hoping to equip those addicted to opioids with lifesaving tools
Drs. Antevy, Piehl, Spiro, Scheppke, Bernstein and Kupas discuss ketamine and other sedatives, and how to minimize risk when administering
Teva Pharmaceuticals was the only manufacturing defendant left in the lawsuit after other parties settled
Lane Ambulance EMS providers were reportedly attempting to administer Narcan when the patient forced a paramedic to the rig floor
The company said it is cooperating with a Mississippi bureau of narcotics inquiry
Looking back into the data on EMS activations and trends, and looking forward in hope
The rig driver, Kevin Tirrel McCorvey, was arrested and told Fairburn police that he had smoked marijuana, taken Adderall and was drinking before the incident
Levi Coleman’s lawsuit claims that the Ogden Fire Department and the city violated the Utah Medical Cannabis Act
In this episode, our co-hosts discuss some of the top news from across the industry and offer their unique perspective on upcoming legislation, provider rights and more
In prehospital settings, naloxone is widely available, and buprenorphine has been approved for few EMS providers
“It is another tool in our bag,” said Richmond Fire Chief Sam Kirby
“We’re about 80 paramedics down,” said Austin EMS Association President Selena Xie, who hopes the change helps with staffing
Drug overdoses now surpass deaths from car crashes, guns, and flu and pneumonia
Kevin McCorvey faces charges of driving under the influence, second-degree vehicular homicide, open container and failure to maintain lane
Randolph County Sheriff’s Office detectives use the online tool to track trends in overdose types, deaths and Narcan use
A Pew Trusts survey revealed limited training and options for dispatching specialized responses
The bills decriminalize syringes and create an online directory for the distribution of opioid antagonists
Roger Crystal leaped out of his vehicle to help when he and his wife noticed a man suffering a medical emergency on a Los Angeles sidewalk
The vaccine is designed to produce antibodies to oxycodone, blocking the drugs’ ability to reach the brain
A study from Florida Atlantic University found IM ketamine administration increases ED intubation rate 5.75-fold for patients testing positive for cocaine
Lab analyses showed two of every five fake pills containing fentanyl contained a potentially lethal dose of the drug
