Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution in the San Francisco County Jail. (October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wenger, Lynn D.; Showalter, David; Lambdin, Barrot; Leiva, David; Wheeler, Eliza; Davidson, Peter J.; Coffin, Phillip O.; Binswanger, Ingrid A.; Kral, Alex H.
• Is Part Of: Journal of correctional health care. Volume 25:Number 4(2019)
• Page Start: 394
• Page End: 404
• Publication Date: 2019-10
• Subjects: overdose prevention -- naloxone distribution -- criminal justice programming; Prisoners -- Health and hygiene -- United States -- Periodicals; Prisoners -- Medical care -- United States -- Periodicals; 365.667
• DOI: 10.1177/1078345819882771
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1078-3458

Abstract

People leaving incarceration are at high risk of opioid-related overdose. Overdose fatalities are preventable with administration of naloxone. In response to this risk, overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs have been implemented in a handful of jails and prisons in the United States. We document the history, structure, and data from the San Francisco County Jail OEND program. During 4 years of operation, 637 people participated; 67% received naloxone upon release, of whom only 3.5% had been previously trained in community-based OEND programs. Of those who received naloxone, 32% reported reversing an overdose and 44% received refills from community-based programs after reentry. This confirms that implementation of OEND in criminal justice settings is feasible and reaches people who have not previously been trained as well as those willing to act as overdose responders.