Naloxone availability in public libraries to prevent opioid overdoses
Increasing naloxone availability and use in high-risk settings: public libraries as partners for reducing opioid overdose mortality
This project will place naloxone kits and training in public libraries to help people at risk of opioid overdose and bystanders reverse overdoses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11327427 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers will partner with public libraries to learn what makes it easier or harder for libraries to keep naloxone on-site and ready. They will create a Public Libraries Cohort to track whether libraries stock and use naloxone, how often overdoses occur on-site, and what happens when naloxone is used. Library staff and patrons may be asked to complete brief surveys, share administrative data, and receive training, and participating libraries may be provided naloxone kits. The work focuses on real-world library settings that serve people facing substance use and housing instability.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are library staff and patrons—especially people who use opioids or who might witness an overdose—at libraries that join the project.
Not a fit: People who do not use or encounter opioids, or who do not live near a participating library, are unlikely to receive direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make life-saving naloxone more available where people at risk go, leading to quicker overdose reversals and fewer deaths.
How similar studies have performed: Community naloxone distribution and training programs have reduced overdose deaths in other settings, but placing naloxone in public libraries is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cannuscio, Carolyn Christa — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Cannuscio, Carolyn Christa
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.