Newly released data indicates a staggering increase in naloxone administrations when patients visit the emergency department. This trend represents a deepening commitment to fight the opioid epidemic. A study led by Dr. Rachael Rzasa Lynn, published online on May 8, 2025, in The Journal of Emergency Medicine, analyzed naloxone use through two major databases: MarketScan and the National Emergency Department Sample (NEDS).
The result was a staggering 60.5% uptick in patients who were administered naloxone upon their inaugural ED visit. As T4America reported on recently, that share skyrocketed from 5.8% in 2016 to 9.3% in 2022. This increase corresponds with the growing instability of opioid overdoses, especially those due to fentanyl.
Results of the MarketScan database indicated 335,846 patients with ED claims for opioid overdose. Of these patients, naloxone was given to 27,742 at least once during their encounters. The mean age of all the patients was found to be 39 years. In comparison, patients with the ED claims for opioid overdose were a significantly older average age of 41 years.
Increasing Multiple Naloxone Administrations
Additionally, the study emphasized a significant uptick in patients needing multiple doses of naloxone. Among MarketScan patients who received naloxone, 14.7% had multiple administrations. This percentage increased from 10.1% in 2016 to 17.4% in 2022, a monumental jump of 72.8%.
New data from the NEDS database shows an alarming trend. The overall rate of patients needing >1 naloxone administration increased from 3.0% of patients in 2016 to 7.3% of patients in 2022. These figures highlight the strain on the nation’s emergency departments as they continue to treat more complex presentations of opioid toxicity.
“Increases in fatal and nonfatal opioid toxicities involving fentanyl have been accompanied by increased use of naloxone in the ED. While a single naloxone administration appears to address the needs of most ED patients, a small but growing percentage of ED patients require multiple naloxone administrations.” – Rachael Rzasa Lynn, MD
Implications for Emergency Care
Together, these findings offer important insights into emergency care practices and their implications. They highlight the urgent need for training and education on them for healthcare providers who treat opioid overdose. Opioid-related emergencies have increasingly become complex. It’s imperative that medical professionals get ready to tackle the challenges these cases present.
This increase in naloxone use is symptomatic of a larger shift in public health initiatives to wage war on the opioid epidemic. With ongoing education and resources, emergency departments can better equip themselves to handle the growing number of overdose cases effectively.
Leave a Reply