Naloxone dosing by non-medical first-responders at opioid overdoses: findings from a qualitative interview study
Naloxone dosing is complex and often reactive rather than purely scientific. Non-medical responders are competent at saving lives using naloxone, but do not always achieve resuscitation without negative effects. Findings highlight the value of offering optional advanced training and regular refresher training. This should focus on locally used naloxone products and dosing decision-making, plus experiential training that might enable people to anticipate how they would feel in a time-pressured overdose-related situation and so respond more calmly.
Authors
- James Cassidy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6719-4245)
- Joanne Neale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1502-5983)
- Nicola Metrebian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3581-1703)
- Ben Carter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0318-8865)
- John Strang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5413-2725)
- Clare Mackie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0355-2543)
- Sarah Cosgrove (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8816-5878)
- Teodora Dascal
Institutions
- New South Wales Department of Health (AU)
- King's College London (GB)
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Harm Reduction Journal
- Published
- 2025-04-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-025-01203-1
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.88
Funders
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- King's College London
- Mundipharma Research Limited