Exploring Barriers to Implementing an Emergency Medical Services Naloxone Leave Behind Program

Naloxone leave behind programs are a popular public health intervention for combatting the opioid epidemic. These programs are designed for first responders to educate and equip high risk, nonmedical individuals to respond to opioid overdose scenarios. However, stigma and misconceptions regarding naloxone remain common among medical providers, including emergency medical services (EMS) members. This study aimed to explore naloxone knowledge, attitude, and biases among EMS providers in the treatment of opioid overdose patients and to identify perceived barriers to the development of an EMS-directed naloxone leave behind program in and around Chattanooga, Tennessee (TN). The authors find deficits in attitude and naloxone knowledge, as well as misconceptions regarding opioid use disorder and naloxone, were common among EMS providers.