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Substance Misuse, Assessment, Recovery, Treatment & Surveillance

Access substance abuse-specific and committee-related (member access only) resources and documents here.

Resources & Documents

Reference Materials

Comparison of Administration of 8-Milligram and 4-Milligram Intranasal Naloxone by Law Enforcement During Response to Suspected Opioid Overdose — New York, March 2022–August 2023 (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Feb 2024) A study in New York showed no benefits to administration of 8-mg intranasal naloxone compared with 4-mg product were found. More data are needed to determine whether higher-dose intranasal naloxone would provide added benefits.
Connecting Communities to Substance Use Services: Practical Tools for First Responders (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2023) Provides practical, evidence-based information that first responder agencies, their partners, and communities can use to implement or expand practices and programs for linking people to substance use services.
A call for compassionate opioid overdose response (International Journal of Drug Policy, Sept 2024) A call to action for an opioid overdose response standard of care that centers the voices of people who use drugs.

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Protocols

Buprenorphine & Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) – Delaware Office of EMS
Naloxone Leave Behind (6.11) & Buprenorphine Field-Start (6.12) – Rhode Island Center for EMS

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Other Resources

Delaware Overdose System of Care

NASEMSO-Created Resources

Explore NASEMSO-created resources and collaborative publications highlighting innovative EMS approaches to overdose response, treatment connections, and recovery support. Resources include state and local program examples, recommendations for using EMS data to identify nonfatal opioid overdoses, and an endorsement supporting naloxone as the primary opioid antidote.

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Articles & Documents

Community Paramedics in North Carolina Offer “Bridge to Treatment” Following Overdose (NASEMSO & CHJ-TASC, May 2023) Highlights two emergency medical services agencies in North Carolina that have expanded their services to overdose patients beyond the standard practice.
Coordinated Opioid Recovery Begins with EMS in Florida (NASEMSO & CHJ-TASC, Oct 2023) Describes the origin and expansion of Florida’s coordinated approach to recovery for individuals with substance use disorder.
Four Pillars of Innovation: EMS Connected Resources to Improve Opioid Response(NASEMSO & CHJ-TASC) Describes a warm handoff/data sharing program with the county public health department; an overdose receiving center; and an EMS-initiated buprenorphine project.
Key Takeaways and Progress on Leveraging EMS in Overdose Response Among Five Learning Collaborative (NASEMSO & NGA, Dec 2024) This learning collaborative aimed to help states build and maintain sustainable initiatives that expand the role of EMS responses to address overdose, support statewide efforts to reduce the number of drug-related overdoses and deaths and increase access to care for people with SUD through effective state and institutional systems.
More Than Naloxone: EMS Combats Substance Use Disorder in South Carolina (NASEMSO & CHJ-TASC, Oct 2022) The Community Outreach Paramedic Education (COPE) program’s goal is to visit an overdose survivor during the critical window for intervention following an overdose event; COPE teams also meet with family or friends of the overdose survivor to help connect them to support.
State EMS Offices Respond to the Opioid Epidemic (NASEMSO & CHJ-TASC, Mar 2023) Outlines several approaches undertaken by state emergency medical services offices to address the ongoing opioid epidemic and mitigate fatalities.

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Endorsements & Recommendations

Recommendations for the Use of Emergency Medical Services Data to Identify Nonfatal Opioid Overdoses (CSTE, NASEMSO, & NEMSIS TAC, May 2022) Standard guidance outlining the data elements needed to reasonably utilize EMS data to identify suspected nonfatal opioid overdoses.
Nalmefene Should Not Replace Naloxone as the Primary Opioid Antidote at this Time (NASEMSO Statement of Endorsement, Jul 2024) An endorsement of the Joint Position Statement from the American College of Medical Toxicology and the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology.

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