A lifesaving drug – when it is used

by Inquirer Staff Writer

Published Aug. 31, 2015, 1:42 p.m. ET

Today Gov. Wolf announced that police in Pennsylvania have used the drug naloxone to reverse 289 overdoses of opioids, mostly prescription drugs and heroin.

What that announcement didn't point out, though, is that many police agencies still aren't using the drug, nearly a year after they were authorized to carry it.

Some agencies said they don't carry it because EMS does – yet often police are the first to arrive at a scene, and even a few moments can matter when someone is overdosing.

"The survey indicated to us there still needs to be an educational program for police departments," said Barry Denk, director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

You might be surprised to know who is most likely to receive naloxone. A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the women, patients ages 20 to 29, and suburban residents are the likeliest to benefit from the drug, often known by its brand name, Narcan. Here's more on that study, published in the American Journal of Public Health.