"Leave behind" program trains paramedics to offer overdose reversal, treatment guidance

A new program to leave medications in the field with people who have suffered an overdose is just getting started in Mendocino County.

The Leave Behind program, which started in the Bay Area before the pandemic, involves paramedics leaving Narcan and suboxone, or buprenorphine, in the hands of people they’ve just revived. But it also calls for a smooth network of doctors, public health officials, follow-up care, and the availability of supplies and personnel to administer the medication and encourage people with substance use disorder to seek treatment or rehab.

Dr. Ori Tzvieli, the health officer and public health director in Contra Costa County, says leaving emergency overdose reversal medications behind is just one component of the program.