High-risk Individuals and Naloxone Use: Implications for THN Programs in Rural Appalachian Communities.

Introduction: Take-home naloxone (THN) is being made available across rural Appalachia to curb opioid overdose fatalities. Despite this initiative, some opioid users do not possess naloxone, and if they do, do not administer it to others.

Purpose: Research findings on risk factors that contribute to opioid overdose are presented.

Opioid Overdoses and Take-Home Naloxone Interventions: Ethnographic Evidence for Individual-Level Barriers to Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders in Rural Appalachia.

: Research indicates that take-home naloxone (THN) is saving lives across rural Appalachia, but whether it also results in treatment for opioid use disorders (OUDs) remains unclear. This study involves a detailed qualitative analysis of interviews with 16 individuals who had overdosed on opioids 61 times to understand why a THN intervention does not routinely lead to OUD treatment. : This study builds upon a one-year (2018) qualitative study on community responses to opioid overdose fatalities in four adjacent rural counties in Western Pennsylvania.