Naloxone Training Information
The misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, along with the associated morbidity and mortality, has been identified as one of the most serious and costly issues facing Tennesseans today. In 2015, Tennessee had the tenth highest drug overdose death rate in the United States, most of which was due to prescription drugs. The Department of Health has developed an interactive Prescription Drug Overdose Dashboard to allow Tennesseans to look and see how prescription drug and opioid overdose is affecting their state and its counties. For more information on the Prescription Drug Overdose (PDO) webpage, please visit this link.
Naloxone (often known by its nasal spray application brand name NarcanTM) is a proven tool in the battle against drug abuse and overdose death. When too much of an opioid medication is taken, it can slow breathing to a dangerously low rate. When breathing slows too much, overdose death can occur. Naloxone can reverse this potentially fatal situation by allowing the person to breathe normally again.
Naloxone is not a dangerous medicine. However, proper training to administer the medication is required by law. Any time an overdose is suspected, call 911 immediately and stay with the patient until first responders arrive. It is important to know that some patients may awake disoriented or agitated after receiving naloxone. This is a good sign, but calling 911 is still very important to help the person survive.
Good Samaritan Law
In July 2014, Tennessee became the 18th state to pass a "Good Samaritan" civil immunity law centered on naloxone. The legislation has four key components:
- Grants immunity from civil suit to providers who prescribe naloxone to a patient, family member, friend or other person in a position to assist giving the medicine naloxone.
- Allows the Department of Health to provide training and instruction on how to use naloxone.
- Requires you to receive basic instruction on how to give naloxone, including taking a quiz and printing the certificate.
- Grants a "Good Samaritan" civil immunity for administering the medicine to someone they reasonably believe is overdosing on an opioid.
- Full text of the act at this link: Public Chapter 623
Training for General Public and Law Enforcement
The two trainings below satisfy the training requirement in the Good Samaritan Law. The individual training was developed for settings with limited time or limited access to technology. The classroom training can take up to 45 minutes and is more comprehensive.
Individual Training
Self-Assessment
Training for Health Professionals
Tennessee Pharmacists Consortium for Education (TPCE) Training
Tennessee Pharmacist Association Opioid Antagonist Training
Naloxone Collaborative Pharmacy Practice Agreement
When completed and signed, please send to the Board of Pharmacy at 665 Mainstream Dr, Nashville, TN 37243.
Additional Resources
Prescription Drug Overdose (PDO) Webpage
Tennessee Drug Overdose Dashboard