How people across the U.S. get and carry naloxone
A National Survey on Naloxone Use and Access
This project will learn how people in the United States find, buy, and carry naloxone, and how new over-the-counter options affect those choices.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11502195 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be invited to complete online surveys each year about whether you carry naloxone, where you obtained it, and what makes it hard or easy to get. The team will use a nationally representative online sample plus a targeted sample to capture both broad patterns and groups more likely to carry naloxone. Survey questions include short scenarios and price options to see how cost and availability influence decisions, and the project will track reactions to newly approved over-the-counter naloxone products in near real time. Responses will be used to map barriers to access, common sources of naloxone, and changes over the three-year timeframe.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: U.S. adults are eligible, especially people who carry or might carry naloxone, friends or family of people who use opioids, and pharmacy customers interested in naloxone access.
Not a fit: People living outside the United States or those seeking immediate clinical treatment for opioid use disorder are unlikely to gain direct medical benefit from participating in the surveys.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help make naloxone easier and more affordable to obtain, potentially increasing the number of people who carry it and helping prevent overdose deaths.
How similar studies have performed: While community naloxone distribution programs have reduced overdose deaths, there is limited national data on naloxone carrying and OTC purchasing, so this approach is relatively new and fills a known evidence gap.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Powell, David — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Powell, David
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.