Fact Sheet

How to Assemble Naloxone Kits

Having naloxone on hand can help you reverse an otherwise fatal overdose from opioids. For overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs and others looking to assemble kits for distribution, check out these detailed instructions courtesy of The DOPE Project at National Harm Reduction Coalition.

There are different ways to assemble naloxone kits. You will need some kind of container, like a bag or small sharps container.

  • If you are distributing 10 ml vials of naloxone, include at least 10 intramuscular syringes so participants have one syringe per 1 ml injection. 3 ml 25g 1” syringes are recommended, but different gauges and point lengths are sometimes used, like 3 ml 22g 1 ½”. Any option is okay as long as the point is at least 1” long so it can reach the muscle. 
  • If you are distributing 1 ml vials of naloxone, include at least two vials in the kit, with 2 muscle syringes. 
  • If you are distributing 2 ml vials and needleless luer-lock syringes for intranasal administration, include two boxes of naloxone/syringe and rubber band an atomizer (Mucosal Atomization Device) to each box. 
  • Optional items for the kits include alcohol pads, rescue breathing masks, rubber gloves, prescription cards or an educational insert. You can put your kits in plastic baggies, or you can purchase bags with zippers. 

Download a free sticker template with naloxone instructions for fitpack sharps containers.

You may want to provide participants with some written materials about overdose prevention and using naloxone. These should be tailored to your community, and produced in the languages that are most common among your participants. Written materials should summarize the training so they can be referenced later and they should include easy-to-understand visuals. 

Written materials should include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Overdose prevention strategies 
  • Risk for overdose 
  • Recognizing an overdose 
  • Steps for responding to an OD, including: stimulation, 911, rescue breathing and naloxone administration instructions 
  • Aftercare information 
  • Contact information for getting naloxone refills 

Overdose prevention programs have created many great brochures and educational pamphlets. Please feel free to draw inspiration from them to create your own. Alternatively, existing materials can be adapted for non-commercial purposes providing they are unaltered and all National Harm Reduction Coalition branding remains intact. 
Nasal Spray (Intranasal) Naloxone Instructions: