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Cooper University Health Care is taking more steps to care for patients experiencing an opioid overdose.
The Camden-based network’s emergency medical services department announced March 11 it is the first EMS system in the nation to carry and administer long-acting injectable buprenorphine in ambulances.
According to the health system, Cooper was the first EMS agency in the U.S. to place the oral overdose treatment on its Mobile Intensive Care Unit ambulances in 2019.
Buprenorphine reduces opioid cravings, prevents withdrawal and significantly lowers the risk of repeat overdose, according to Cooper.
In December 2025, Cooper EMS expanded this initial program. The growth introduced Bupe FIRST to University Hospital in Newark as well as St. Joseph’s Health in Paterson.
The new the extended-release injectable delivers up to a month of continuous opioid use disorder treatment coverage from a single EMS encounter.
Buprenorphine is used to treat opioid use disorder. – PROVIDED BY COOPER HEALTH
Cooper noted this marks a significant advancement for treatment. It helps “overcome common barriers to treatment adherence, including missed doses, unstable housing, transportation challenges, and delays in accessing outpatient care.”
“Too often, patients survive an overdose but fall through the cracks before they can access treatment,” Dr. Gerard Carroll, EMS medical director at Cooper, said in a statement. “By allowing paramedics to administer injectable buprenorphine, we’re not just reversing overdoses — we’re initiating sustained recovery at the point of care.”