New Indiana map, viewable by public, shows where first responders have given naloxone for opioid overdoses

To help fight the opioid epidemic, Indiana has launched a new interactive mapping tool that shows where first responders have administered naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses, Kate Queram reports gfor Route Fifty. Unlike the ODMap being used by first responders and leaders in 27 states, Indiana's map is viewable by the public.

Screenshot of the interactive map.

The Naloxone Administration Heatmap, announced by the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse, obscures addresses for privacy, but labels overdose sites within 100 meters in urban areas and 500 meters (about one-third of a mile) in rural areas. Users can toggle the settings to select for overdoses within the past 30 days, within the year to date, or from years dating back to 2014. Other adjustable settings include whether the overdose happened roughly during the day or night, or on a weekday or weekend, Queram reports.

The tool was developed by a partnership between the Indiana Management Performance Hub and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Providers send EMS data to the state's homeland security database, which the management performance hub then analyzes and plots on the map.

"Not every naloxone usage is an overdose, according to the commission, but 'preliminary analysis indicates' that approximately 75 percent of administrations of the drug are to treat overdoses," Queram reports. "About 15 percent of 'naloxone incidents' have not been added to the map because the address was poorly formatted or missing, according to the website."