Colorado residents searching for naloxone now have a new tool at their fingertips. The CU Anschutz Injury and Violence Prevention Center (IVPC) has launched the Save a Life Colorado Naloxone Access Map, a free online resource that helps people locate naloxone access points throughout the state. Available at SaveALifeColorado.org, the Save a Life Colorado Map brings together information on pharmacies, public health agencies, healthcare programs, nonprofit organizations, distribution kiosks, and vending machines where naloxone is available at cost or free of charge. The map was developed in response to a growing need for a single, statewide resource that makes naloxone access information easier to find.
Meeting a Critical Need Across Colorado
Colorado continues to face significant challenges related to opioid overdose, with communities across the state experiencing the impacts of opioid-related harm. Naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication, is a proven tool that can rapidly restore breathing during an overdose when administered in time. Research has consistently shown that community naloxone distribution programs can reduce overdose deaths and improve survival outcomes.
Even as public awareness of naloxone has increased, a common barrier remains: People often do not know where to obtain it.
“Naloxone saves lives, but it can only work if people know where to find it,” said Ashley Brooks-Russell, MPH, PhD. Brooks-Russell serves as director of IVPC and headed up the map project. “We created this map in response to requests from communities across Colorado for a single, statewide resource that brings naloxone access information together in one place.”
The need for naloxone extends well beyond illicit drug use. Opioid exposure can involve medications prescribed for pain after surgery, injury, or illness—and one study showed that six in ten adults who were prescribed opioids had pills left over once they had finished managing their pain.
Coloradans may also find themselves in positions where they could respond to an overdose emergency, whether they support someone in recovery, work in healthcare or behavioral health, serve as first responders, or simply encounter an emergency in their community.
Joshua Barocas, MD, deputy director of IVPC, emphasized the important role Coloradans can play in overdose prevention in their communities.
“Everyday citizens have the opportunity to save lives with naloxone, a safe, effective, and lifesaving medication that reduces opioid-related overdoses,” Barocas said. “But not knowing where they can find naloxone is a persistent barrier. The naloxone map serves as a key and innovative resource as we continue to fight the overdose epidemic in Colorado.”
A Comprehensive Statewide Resource
The Save a Life Colorado Naloxone Access Map was designed to help users quickly identify naloxone access options that meet their needs. Unlike pharmacy-only directories, the map combines multiple types of naloxone distribution sites within a single platform. Users can locate places where naloxone can be purchased as well as locations where it may be available at no cost.
The map includes (but is not limited to):
- Pharmacies
- Public health agencies
- Healthcare programs
- Nonprofit organizations
- Naloxone distribution kiosks
- Naloxone vending machines
By consolidating these resources, the Save a Life Colorado Map offers a more complete picture of naloxone availability across Colorado and helps reduce barriers to access.
Built Through Statewide Collaboration
Developing a comprehensive inventory of naloxone access points required an extensive statewide information-gathering effort.
IVPC researchers reviewed existing naloxone resources, conducted local and statewide searches, and worked with public health agencies, regional opioid abatement councils, and community partners to identify naloxone distribution locations throughout Colorado.
The project also builds upon existing overdose prevention efforts. Through a partnership with Stop the Clock Colorado, pharmacy locations were incorporated into the statewide resource, while additional outreach helped identify hundreds of locations where naloxone is distributed free of charge.
The resulting map reflects contributions from organizations and communities across Colorado that share a commitment to preventing overdose deaths and expanding access to life-saving resources.
Supporting Colorado's Overdose Prevention Efforts
The Save a Life Colorado Map is just one part of IVPC's broader efforts to support overdose prevention and respond to needs identified by communities across Colorado. IVPC's commitment to translating research into practical tools that improve health and safety for Coloradans extends as well to a state-funded project that will track the impact of Colorado’s spending of more than $912 million in settlement money it received from opioid manufacturers and distributors for their role in the opioid epidemic.
More Than a Map
In addition to the mapping tool itself, IVPC has developed a free Save a Life Map Toolkit that documents the process used to build the map. The toolkit is intended to help public health organizations, government agencies, and other groups create similar naloxone access maps in their own regions.
IVPC also plans to continue improving and expanding the Save a Life Colorado Map. Future enhancements may include additional data layers, expanded community resources, and connections to substance use treatment and recovery support services.
“This is just the first step in supporting people working to prevent overdose in Colorado,” Brooks-Russell said. “We heard clearly from communities that they wanted a statewide resource, and we listened.”
Help Keep the Map Current
Because naloxone availability can change over time, IVPC encourages community members and organizations to submit updates, corrections, and new naloxone distribution sites through the map's online feedback form. Community contributions will help ensure the map remains accurate, comprehensive, and useful for people across Colorado.
To explore the map and find naloxone near you, visit SaveALifeColorado.org.
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