Naloxone is an opioid antagonist medicine that works to reverse an opioid overdose. The medication comes in two primary forms, nasal spray, and injectable Naloxone. It can only be used to reverse opioid overdoses such as oxycontin, fentanyl, methadone, vicodin, and Heroin. Naloxone will not reverse an overdose resulting from non-opioid drugs, like cocaine, benzodiazepines, or alcohol. Administering Naloxone to a non-opioid overdose victim will not harm them, it is safe. An additional dose of Naloxone can be administered every 2-3 minutes if an overdose victim is continuing to not respond. Narcan is the brand name for Naloxone.

• Remove the nasal spray from the packaging and lay the person on their back.
• Hold the nasal spray with your thumb on the bottom of the plunger and your middle fingers on either side of the nozzle.
• Tilt the person’s head back and insert the nozzle into one nostril until your fingers are against their nose.
• Press the plunger firmly to give the dose and remove the spray from the person’s nose.
• If the person does not respond in 2-3 minutes, give a second dose from a new nasal spray (if available).

For a detailed guide on administering a dose of Naloxone nasal spray and best practices, click here.

To watch a video that demonstrates the steps on how to use Naloxone, click here.