Prevention Point Pittsburgh’s Overdose Prevention Program | Brandeis Opioid Resource Connector

A community-based organization engaged in naloxone training and distribution as part of a larger harm reduction initiative

Prevention Point Pittsburgh is a harm reduction organization that runs the only county-approved syringe service program in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Their Overdose Prevention Program (OPP) provides naloxone training, prescriptions, and distribution to active opioid users. The program has also helped to implement naloxone distribution at the county jail, hospital emergency departments, and other settings.

As of October, 2018, the OPP had distributed naloxone kits to over 4,000 individuals and nearly 3,000 overdose reversals have been reported.

Nearly 3,000 overdose reversals have been reported.

Continuum of Care

Harm Reduction

Type of Evidence

Peer-reviewed

Response Approach

Educational

Overdose prevention

Syringe service program / Needle exchange

Peer-reviewed Article

Characteristics of an Overdose Prevention, Response, and Naloxone Distribution Program in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

From Peers to Lay Bystanders: Findings from a Decade of Naloxone Distribution in Pittsburgh, PA

Evidence of Program Effectiveness

This study supports the efficacy of the OPP in providing naloxone and overdose recognition and response training. Participants reported successful overdose reversals with few negative side effects. “This indicates the feasibility of developing programs that equip active drug users with the skills to prevent, recognize, and respond to an overdose in community settings. Our analyses also suggest that training in the effective administration of naloxone can be provided to drug users in a community setting and can prevent overdose fatalities.” (Bennett et al., 2011)