Opioid Risks and Overdose

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What are Opioids?

Opioids are a type of medication that include some prescription pain relievers, illegal drugs of abuse (e.g., heroin), and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.1

  1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Opioids. NIDA. https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids. Accessed September 4, 2019.
  2. Prescription Opioids: What You Need to Know: AHA. American Hospital Association. https://www.aha.org/factsheet/2018-02-20-prescription-opioids-what-you-need-know. Accessed September 20, 2019.
  3. Veterans Health Administration. Opioid Safety. Veterans Affairs. https://www.pbm.va.gov/PBM/AcademicDetailingService/Documents/Opioid_Safety_for_Patients_on_Opioids_Brochure.pdf Published June 2016. Accessed August 20, 2019.
  4. Naloxone Training. National Drug Court Institute - NDCI.org. https://www.ndci.org/resources/naloxonetraining/. Accessed September 20, 2019.
  5. Information sheet on opioid overdose. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/substance_abuse/information-sheet/en/. Published August 21, 2018. Accessed September 20, 2019.
  6. Scholl L, Seth P, Kariisa M, Wilson N, Baldwin G. Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths – United States, 2013-2017. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 21 December 2018. DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm675152e1
  7. Information sheet titled “Quick Start Guide for Narcan.” https://www.narcan.com/static/NARCAN-Quick-Start-Guide.pdf. Published 2015. Accessed January 4, 2020.

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