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.
Manufactured, concocted and blended opioids require EMS training, PPE and decontamination strategies
Harness a passion for care to identify improvement opportunities in clinical specialty areas and propose change
Our co-hosts continue their discussion with EMS1 columnist and defense attorney David Givot on the impact medical marijuana has in EMS
Utah police arrest the girl’s parents, who called 911 after finding the girl unresponsive, on suspicion of ‘child endangerment’
The pilot rehab program would reduce repetitive emergency calls and increase first responder availability
The drug is eight times more potent than morphine, and is connected to over 50 deaths nationwide
Paramedics were called because Ohio police suspected the intoxicated mom might have also been having a diabetic emergency
A full life weighs more than an empty one, but who I have become because of my EMS experience has made me a better friend and caregiver
Louisiana State Police trooper also injured at scene that happened after an impaired driver veered into another vehicle to avoid hitting the man on the bridge shoulder
In 2015, Michigan State police seized 8,221 grams of heroin — nearly double the amount in the year prior
The man remembers mowing his lawn after drinking beer and taking a triple dose of his anti-depressant
The six-month buprenorphine implant provides a new maintenance treatment option for those in recovery
The man pleaded guilty to a 2015 DUI charge that left two EMTs seriously injured
Jonathan M. McCulley, 34, is facing multiple charges for allegedly stealing fentanyl, Valium and morphine
W-18 is a novel opioid, more powerful than fentanyl, purchased online from China and legal to possess in the US
The new law to sell Narcan over-the-counter also calls for patient counseling and educational materials
Under the bill, paramedics would be able to draw blood at DUI crash scenes when a police officer is present
The ambulance was damaged and had to be towed away after the 22-year-old crashed it
The man hit the front passenger side door of the ambulance, injuring one paramedic
Anthony Ramos was found with bloodshot, glassy eyes and had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath
Despite the stigma Narcan carries, officials said it should be administered and could save a life during a potential drug overdose
Tessie Odom Smith said she doesn’t remember much from before and after the crash, but she’s looking ahead
The anti-diarrhea medication’s accessibility, low cost, over-the-counter legal status and lack of social stigma all contribute to its potential for abuse
Officials said some departments don’t stay current on CPR training that includes rescue breathing, which the bill would require
State records show 336 deaths last year linked to excessive or abusive use of prescription opioids, such as oxycodone, or illicit opioids, such as heroin
Under the current risk programs, drugmakers fund voluntary training for physicians in safely prescribing their medications
Reduce liability, simplify supply ordering, decrease waste and prevent drug diversions with inventory control management
The Drug Supply Chain Security Act mandates pharmaceutical tracking, tracing and documentation for EMS agencies
Officials reported that prescription pills were found on the musician, but it wasn’t clear whether they had been prescribed to Prince
It’s unclear how the scuffle started, but the two officers were taken to a hospital with minor injuries
A 20-year-old man swerved through emergency vehicles set up as a roadblock and smashed into the tail rotor of the helicopter
I make sure people suffering from alcoholism receive the same level of professionalism as every other patient
A grand jury handed down indictments against Dustin Hazlewood for illegally obtaining fentanyl and morphine
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