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Prehospital olanzapine for meth toxicity

Impact of prehospital olanzapine for methamphetamine intoxication on patient and system-level outcomes: a population-based retrospective cohort study
BMJ Open · Added 13 October 2026

Population-based Winnipeg cohort evaluating a 2018 policy letting paramedics give olanzapine for methamphetamine intoxication — treated patients were far more likely to be transported to ED (aOR 11.83) and seen by a doctor, and less likely to leave before being seen (aOR 0.56).

Study type

Cohort

Design

Retrospective pre-post population-based cohort (inverse probability of treatment weighting)

Participants

1,041 individuals with methamphetamine-related contacts, 222 given prehospital olanzapine

Main finding

Olanzapine recipients more likely to be transported to ED (aOR 11.83, 95% CI 3.19–43.80) and less likely to leave ED without being seen (aOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.32–0.97)

Caveat

Retrospective pre-post design with confounding by indication — the sickest patients were presumably the ones treated

Bottom line

Hypothesis-generating

Learning goal

Weigh the benefits and risks of prehospital olanzapine for methamphetamine intoxication and its impact on transport decisions.

More

• Topic: Toxicology
• Daily scan: 13 October 2026

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