Impact

Data on overdose rates highlights various pathways leading to accidental overdose, including active use of risky substances and known stressors like early recovery, suicidal ideation, prior overdose history, or recent transitions from incarceration or higher care levels. Zero Overdose promotes a care model embodying best practices in overdose prevention, offering an OD Safety Plan designed for providers and patients dealing with substance use disorder. This plan is a collaborative tool for both parties.

Preliminary survey results from OD Safety Plan training indicate success. Pre-training surveys revealed unanimous agreement among participants regarding the importance of screening for overdose risk in primary care settings. Despite recognizing the benefits of discussing overdose prevention, 62% admitted to not engaging in such conversations with their patients. Among these, 54% lacked confidence in discussing overdose risks. Our training aims to address these discomforts and bolster providers’ confidence. Post-training surveys showed that 100% of attendees found the training effective in understanding Overdose Safety Planning and expressed intentions to use the plan with their patients.