Opioid overdose as a result of the increasing prevalence of fentanyl is a serious threat.1 Naloxone, widely known by the brand name Narcan, can be administered during an overdose to prevent death. While many resources exist to get naloxone in the hands of those who may need it, not everyone knows how to use this medication. For immigrant and migrant populations like agricultural workers, access and instructions are not the only barriers. Legal concerns can impede lifesaving action, and instructions can be overly complex for migrants with limited formal education. Although evidence is limited on the abuse of opioids among agricultural workers, construction workers, an industry with a large percentage of migrant and immigrant workers and high occupational injury, are at a high risk of experiencing an opioid overdose.2
To serve health centers in their outreach efforts to agricultural workers, Migrant Clinicians Network has created general and simple instructions on the process of administering naloxone with photographs demonstrating use. This resource also includes basic information on Good Samaritan laws, which vary state by state, as well as guidance on storing and preserving naloxone to maintain its efficacy. The resource also contains information on how expired naloxone can still be the difference between a fatal overdose and a nonfatal one.
If a clinician is concerned that a patient may be using opioids or may be near people that use opioids frequently, they may walk the patient through this handout, as well as helping them familiarize themselves with local and state Good Samaritan laws that may apply to them and services that can provide them with naloxone when needed.
Access the new resource on MCN’s website:
In English: https://www.migrantclinician.org/resource/instructions-using-naloxone.html
In Spanish: https://www.migrantclinician.org/es/resource/instrucciones-para-usar-naloxona.html
References
1 National Institute on Drug Abuse. Drug Overdose Death Rates. Website. 14 May 2024. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates
2 Dong XS, Brooks RD, Cain CT. Overdose fatalities at worksites and opioid use in the construction industry. Published 2019. Accessed June 5, 2024. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/85344
