Naloxone Training for Distributors

Introduction  

Welcome to our online training site for the Ontario Naloxone Program (ONP). Thank you for helping to distribute life-saving naloxone kits in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph community!  

Naloxone is a medication that is used to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Through local public health units, the ONP provides naloxone kits to community agencies to distribute to people at risk for opioid overdose and to their friends and family. The program was recently expanded, making additional community agencies eligible to distribute kits.   

Public Health has put together this self-directed online program so that community agencies can train staff to distribute naloxone. The training uses a ‘train the trainer’ approach to provide information about:

• Opioid overdose prevention.
• Signs of overdose
• Five steps to naloxone use.
• Aftercare and care of naloxone.
• Refills to staff of community agencies who provide it to clients.

In order to be qualified to distribute naloxone to clients, you will need to complete the training located on this webpage (Part 1 and Part 2). Upon completion of this training, being approved for distribution by the ministry, and signing the memorandum of understanding (MOU), you will be forwarded a quiz to complete which will be the final step in the onboarding process.

The training portion of this webpage is set up like a checklist (✓), so you can work through the requirements one step at a time to ensure you have completed the full training.

Part 1: Information about opioid overdose and naloxone 

As a naloxone distributor, you are required to teach all naloxone recipients about how to recognize an opioid overdose, how to respond to an overdose, and how to use naloxone. This part of the training gives you all the background information you will need to know about opioid use, overdose, stigma and naloxone in order to distribute naloxone to clients and educate them on how to use it.  

✓ Watch this video: carrynaloxONe. Get Ready. Get Trained. Save Lives. (10 minutes) for an introduction to naloxone and how to recognize an opioid overdose. This video is appropriate to share with clients that are receiving naloxone.

✓ Download the Before You Give a Naloxone Kit handout and wallet cards below, which summarize the information you must provide to each client that gets a kit. Go over the checklist with every person to whom you give a naloxone kit. If it is someone’s first time getting a kit, make sure you review each item; for naloxone refills, you may only need to review parts of this information.   

• Before You Give a Naloxone Kit Handout (PDF, 1 page)
• Before You Give a Naloxone Kit Wallet Cards (PDF, 2 pages) These are handy for naloxone distributors that are mobile.

✓ Download and review this carrynaloxONe - Opioid Overdose and Naloxone Administration presentation (PPT) that summarizes the teaching points you will need to cover when distributing a naloxone kit. It goes through more detail on recognizing an overdose, the steps in giving naloxone and calling 911, the Good Samaritan Act and principles of preventing an overdose.

✓ Review each of these resources for more information on harm reduction and naloxone:

• Recognizing and Responding to an Opioid Overdose (WDGPH website). You can share this website link with your clients.  
• Opioid Overdose Signs and Symptoms poster (PDF, 1 page). You can post this in client-facing areas.  
• Good Samaritan Act Wallet Card (PDF, 1 page). You can print and share these with your clients.  

Important note: Although this training is not designed to teach CPR, the video and handouts reference rescue breathing and chest compressions. You are not expected to teach CPR to recipients of the kits.

Part 2: Ordering naloxone and reporting expectations 

Part two of the training covers the ordering process and reporting expectations. Only individuals responsible for ordering and reporting at each organization need to complete this part of the training.

✓ Watch this Naloxone Ordering Training video (14 minutes) on how to order naloxone through the ONOR system.

✓ Watch this Naloxone Reporting Training video (14 minutes) on how to meet the reporting requirements outlined in your Memorandum of Understanding using NEO.

• Reporting must be done in NEO, however some organizations prefer to use paper forms for initial data collection before uploading the data into NEO. You can download and use this Data Collection Form for that purpose.

Naloxone in the Workplace

Are you an employer, looking to get Naloxone for your workplace? Visit Naloxone in the Workplace for more information.