Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy
Open Access

Research Article

An Agenda for Naloxone Distribution Research and Practice: Meeting Report of the Surviving Opioid Overdose with Naloxone (SOON) International Working Group

¹Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada

²Rescu, Keenan Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Toronto, Canada

³Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Canada

⁴Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada

⁵St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada

⁶Centre for Research on Inner City Health, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada

Corresponding Author:

Aaron Orkin
Dalla Lana School of Public Health
University of Toronto
155 College St
Toronto ON, M5T 1P8, Canada
Tel: 6479237551
Email: aaron.orkin@mail.utoronto.ca

Received date: February 11, 2015; Accepted date: March 11, 2015; Published date: March 20, 2015

Citation: Orkin AM, Bingham K, Klaiman M, Leece P, Buick JE, et al. (2015) An Agenda for Naloxone Distribution Research and Practice: Meeting Report of the Surviving Opioid Overdose with Naloxone (SOON) International Working Group. J Addict Res Ther 6:212. doi:10.4172/2155-6105.1000212

Copyright: © 2015 Orkin AM, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Opioid-related mortality is a serious and growing issue in North America. Naloxone distribution and basic life support training for people at risk of overdose is a promising opportunity to improve access to potentially lifesaving bystander interventions and essential healthcare. We convened a unique international working group of experts in public health, resuscitation science, and health research methodology, along with clinical, community, policy, industry stakeholders and members of the lay public to explore and address key challenges and opportunities for rigorous research on this intervention.

The findings from the Surviving Opioid Overdose with Naloxone (SOON) International Working Group explored potential research opportunities and identified barriers in four priority areas: research methods, resuscitation guidelines, naloxone delivery device development, and knowledge translation. This novel collaborative effort:

• Identified key steps and challenges for developing an appropriate, feasible and rigorous pragmatic trial of naloxone distribution in various clinical settings;

• Identified emerging naloxone delivery devices and technologies, and described how these devices may alter standards of care for overdose prevention research and practice

• Engaged resuscitation experts in the development of bystander resuscitation protocols for opioid-associated resuscitative emergencies; and,

• Identified strategies to overcome knowledge translation barriers for patients and providers, as well as characteristics for effective educational tools and program implementation.

The SOON collaboration aims to advance the investigation, implementation, and practice of overdose education and naloxone distribution. Through diverse collaborations, we can use best science to improve practice for individuals at risk of opioid overdose.