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.
Before you grab the naloxone or reach for the benzos, hit play on this toxidrome masterclass
In this data-packed EMS One-Stop episode, Drs. Brent Myers and Remle Crowe share 7 critical metrics, from opioid overdoses to pediatric behavioral health, reshaping prehospital care
Millions in funding are now available to support prevention, treatment and recovery programs
First responders were called to the daycare on reports of three unconscious children
Increase in public deaths leaves individuals to consider carrying naloxone and businesses training employees on how to respond to overdoses
A suspected intoxicated driver fought with Bethlehem Township EMS personnel, law enforcement officers in the back of an ambulance
King County fentanyl deaths stand at 704 with four month left compared to 712 in 2022
The opioid overdose-reversing drug is expected to be available at pharmacies nationally and online
Experts in Yakima County say the number of fentanyl users and the amount of pills consumed are increasing
Is your agency in compliance with requirements? How can you protect yourself and your staff from the fallout of drug diversion?
The program aims for nurses to work alongside police officers to assist individuals struggling with substance use disorders and mental health
Ensuring equitable treatment for all communities begins with understanding how unintentional racism can produce racist outcomes in EMS
Medical experts say misinformation around fentanyl and what happened to Syracuse first responders created a “nocebo effect”
St. Charles County Ambulance District will have a dedicated position for administering buprenorphine
Homeless Health Care Los Angeles teams carry oxygen, along with naloxone, to reverse the effects of opioid overdose
Training in Hartshorne focused on administering naloxone and patient care
Mayor Michelle Wu said first responders, health professionals have encountered crowds of over 200 in the Mass and Cass area
The St. Tammany Fire Protection District pilot program will use a behavioral health center specialist for crisis calls
The bill presumes disabling or fatal infectious diseases were suffered in the line of duty as a result of injury due to uncapped needles
A New Kensington Ambulance Service paramedic was punched in the eye and the ED staff were threatened
First responders are not immune from the opioid crisis; here’s what to know
Senate Bill 186 allows the use of Opvee as overdoses in the state are rising
First responders in Oceanside faced six men down due to a drug overdose
Mercer County officials are placing the devices after a medical emergency at the Courthouse Annex earlier this year
The bill introduced by Supervisor Matt Dorsey would require pharmacies to stock the nasal spray or face fines
“We don’t know whether xylazine is increasing the risk of overdose or reducing the risk of overdose,” Dr. Lewis Nelson of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School said
EMS transported the driver to a Palm Coast hospital to be treated for “ingesting a large amount of narcotics”
Honolulu EMS warns personnel to be on the lookout for signs of xylazine
Matthew W. Milburn told first responders the unconscious subject was ’10-4' and they could cancel their response
Hennepin EMS collaborated with addiction medicine experts to establish a treatment protocol
Xylazine, often mixed with fentanyl, has necrotizing effects that rot the skin and lead to amputations
Knowing how xylazine presents clinically, as well as how it impacts overdose management is important for any provider responding to illicit drug overdoses
Albuterol, fentanyl and naloxone injectable are among the drugs being recalled – many of which are in very short supply, with no alternate source available