An evaluation of naloxone transit for opioid overdose using drones: A case study using real-world coroner data

Background and aims

Opioids are now the most cited class in fatal overdoses. However, the antidote for opioid overdose—naloxone—is not always readily available. Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility of naloxone transit via drone to provide rapid access at the point of care.

Methods and findings

Real-world data pertaining to opioid overdoses, which occurred in the Teesside area of the UK 2015–2019, were extracted from the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths (NPSAD). The original locations of these opioid overdoses were used to compare the projected response times of ambulances with that of drones when considering the impacts of actual traffic and weather conditions, respectively; 58 cases were identified where a bystander—who could have called for and administered emergency naloxone—was likely present.

Results

In 78% of cases (n = 45/58) a class C1 commercial-off-the-shelf drone carrying naloxone could have reached the overdose location in 7 min—the benchmark time for the arrival of emergency services for Category 1 calls in England. With the implementation of recent advances in drone engineering, such as increased speeds and temperature-controlled cargo cradles, it is estimated that 98% of overdoses could have been reached in this timeframe (n = 57/58). Ambulances were able to reach a significantly lower number of cases in 7 min, even when considering best-case scenario traffic conditions (14%, n = 8/58, χ² P < 0.001).

Conclusions

This study provides proof-of-concept that, in the Teesside area of the UK, drones are more likely than ambulance to get naloxone to the site of an opioid overdose in 7 min.