Opioid Basics

The best ways to prevent opioid deaths are to improve opioid prescribing, reduce exposure to opioids, prevent misuse and treat opioid use disorder. 

Living with chronic pain can be devastating, and effective pain management is important to getting your life back. It is essential that you and your doctor discuss treatment options, carefully considering all of the risks and benefits. Some medications, such as prescription opioids, can help relieve pain in the short term but also come with serious risks and potential complications—and should be prescribed and used carefully. 

The project’s goals are to educate physicians and patients about the high risks of dependency and overdose that come with the use of prescription pain medications, as well as promote best practices that minimize these risks. Additionally, seeking to reduce the overall use of potentially addictive opioid pain medications, PSMC promotes alternative pain management strategies that can have greater lasting benefit for patients, without bringing the high risks associated with opioid medications.

The LiveStory link has more background on the issue of prescription misuse.

The Prescribe Safe Monterey County website has numerous resources for physicians, patients, and family members who what to learn more.

• Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils”
• Falling asleep or losing consciousness
• Slow, weak, or no breathing
• Choking or gurgling sounds
• Limp body
• Cold and/or clammy skin
• Discolored skin (especially in lips and nails)
• Unresponsiveness

Narcan can reverse an overdose and save a person’s life. Narcan is designed to be easy to use and administering it to someone who’s not overdosing on an opioid won’t hurt them. It’s always better to give narcan to someone who doesn’t need it than avoid giving it to someone who does.

Nasal Narcan typically comes in a package with two doses. Sometimes, multiple doses may be needed. If you only have one dose, use what you have. Paramedics can bring additional doses of Narcan if they’re needed.

1. Follow these steps to administer Narcan for a suspected overdose: Call 911 immediately.
2. Open the package of narcan and remove a dose from its blister pack.
3. Hold the dose of narcan so that your thumb is against the plunger and your fingers are on either side of the nozzle.
4. Insert the tip of the nasal spray into either nostril of the person who’s overdosing until your fingers are touching their nose and firmly press the plunger to administer the entire dose of medication into the nose.
5. Lay person on their side to prevent choking.
6. Wait 2-3 minutes for the person to respond.
7. If no response, give additional doses, switching nostrils until help arrives.
8. Stay with the person until emergency help arrives.

View a YouTube Video on how to administer Naloxone

Ver en Español Cómo Administrar Naloxona

Carrying nasal Narcan provides an extra layer of protection for those at a higher risk for overdose. Although most professional first responders and emergency departments carry narcan, they may not arrive in time to reverse an opioid overdose. Anyone can carry narcan, give it to someone having an overdose, and potentially save a life. Bystanders such as friends, family, non-health care providers and persons who use drugs can reverse an opioid overdose with narcan.

California laws protect persons who give naloxone and make naloxone more readily available.

Good Samaritan Law

A person cannot be liable for any civil damages that result from his or her providing of emergency care, if:

1. The person acted in good faith, and not for compensation;
2. The person provided either emergency medical care or nonmedical care; and
3. The care was provided at the scene of an emergency.

• What you Need to Know about Naloxone (CDC, PDF): This fact sheet provides general facts about naloxone including where to get it and how to prevent an overdose.
• How and When to Use Naloxone for an Opioid Overdose (CDC, PDF): This fact sheet discusses how to identify an overdose and use naloxone, and includes the side effects of naloxone.
• How to Save a Life with Naloxone (CDC, PDF): This guide offers examples to help you start a conversation with a clinician or pharmacist about how to obtain naloxone, when to use it and where to find training on giving naloxone.

Fentanyl test strips (FTS) are a low-cost (or even free) method of helping prevent drug overdoses and reducing harm. FTS are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of fentanyl in all different kinds of drugs (cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, etc.) and drug forms (pills, powder, and injectables). FTS provide people who use drugs and communities with important information about fentanyl in the illicit drug supply so they can take steps to reduce risk of overdose.

1. Dissolve a small amount of the drug in water. You can use the residue from a baggie or your cooker.
2. Holding the blue side of the test strip, dip the other end into the water up to the wavy lines and wait for 15 seconds.
3. Set the test strip on a flat surface and wait 5 minutes.

If a single pink line appears on the left-hand side, your drugs are positive for fentanyl. Two pink lines mean that no fentanyl or similar opioids were found in your drugs. Keep in mind that even if you get a negative result, your drugs might still have fentanyl. Fentanyl can appear in some parts of a drug but not others. Fentanyl test strips also don’t test for some fentanyl-like drugs like carfentanil.

If no lines appear or a single line appears on the right-hand side, the result is invalid and you’ll need to test again with a new strip.

• Carry naloxone in case of an overdose.
• Don’t use alone. Have someone you trust regularly check on you.
• Don’t rely on a previous source or experience. Knowing where your drugs come from doesn’t mean they’re safe. And even if you have used drugs before, your body could react differently every time.
• Start low and go slow.
• Don’t mix drugs.
• Ask for help if you’re ready to get treatment for your addiction. Recovery from substance use disorders is possible—it’s okay to ask for help