VA reaches milestones in lifesaving naloxone availability

Expanding access to antidote across the country to prevent overdose deaths among Veterans

Veteran safety and well-being is at the center of everything we do at VA, and that is why naloxone is available at all health care facilities and Vet Centers nationwide. This initiative, aimed at combating opioid overdoses, marks a crucial milestone in VA’s commitment to Veteran health and safety.

In 2025, VA health care facilities embarked on a critical mission to identify high-risk areas where naloxone, a lifesaving emergency antidote, was most needed. These high-risk areas, now equipped with naloxone, total an impressive 6,852 locations across all 1,364 VA facilities. These efforts were expanded recently to include all Readjustment Counseling Service sites, encompassing more than 300 Vet Centers, numerous satellite locations and even Mobile Vet Centers.

VA ensured naloxone was readily available and accessible in designated locations, including placement in Automated External Defibrillator cabinets, (AED), crash carts and direct availability on medical units.

Naloxone is a safe antidote that can quickly reverse an opioid overdose and has been made available without cost to Veterans since 2014. It works only on opioids and won’t cause harm if used on someone overdosing on other drugs. This makes naloxone a critical tool in the fight against opioid overdoses, empowering any individual to save lives.

Positive impact on overdose statistics

The statistics clearly show why such action is necessary. More than 79,000 people in the U.S. died from opioid overdoses in 2023. However, efforts to distribute naloxone are beginning to show positive results. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provisional data for the 12-months ending in Aug. 2025 indicate that opioid overdose deaths reduced by nearly 44% when compared to rates seen during 2023.

This recent decline in preventable opioid overdose deaths is encouraging and highlights the importance of keeping naloxone accessible and widely distributed.

VA also strives to get lifesaving naloxone in the hands of Veterans (like the gentleman who saved his neighbor’s life by having some on hand), and has distributed naloxone to over 766,800 VA patients and formally documented over 7,200 successful overdose reversals with naloxone. In Feb. 2026, VA reached another milestone as it surpassed 2-million naloxone prescriptions dispensed to patients nationwide.

Broad availability saves lives

Broad availability of naloxone allows rapid access to reverse life-threatening overdoses. The availability of naloxone at VA facilities and Vet Centers significantly enhances safety for Veterans while they are on-site receiving care, ensuring swift medical intervention to reverse potentially life-threatening opioid overdoses, thus preventing otherwise preventable deaths.

Additional resources

If you are concerned about yourself, or a Veteran friend or family member who may need help for substance use, check out these VA resources for substance use treatment.

• If you’re a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive 24/7 confidential support. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect. To reach responders, dial 988 then Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255. 
• The SAMHSA National Helpline offers confidential, free help from public health agencies that can direct you to substance use treatment and information. Call 1-800-662-4357.

If you see someone who is showing symptoms of overdose or who is in immediate danger, dial 911.