The Erie County Naloxone Secret Shopper Study evaluated real-world naloxone access at 65 community pharmacies across the county. Using trained student investigators, the study assessed availability, OTC placement, staff communication, N-CAP understanding, counseling practices, and workflow challenges. The findings reveal critical communication and operational barriers that could limit equitable naloxone access, particularly in high-burden overdose ZIP codes, and offer a starting point to work on building actionable strategies to improve pharmacy-based naloxone distribution. As a result, the project provides a data-driven foundation for next-step collaborative Erie County/Pharmacy/University efforts, including education campaigns, N-CAP process clarification for pharmacies, and other support for independent pharmacies in underserved areas.
Jason Meurlin, Data Analyst, presented an overview of local overdose data & trends
