Illinois Public Libraries Stocking And Administering Opioid Overdose Reversal Agents In 2026

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) issued an updated standing order adding the state’s public libraries to the list of locations permitted to keep opioid overdose reversal agents on hand, and to allow trained staff to administer them in the event of a suspected overdose. New provisions of the Illinois Local Library Act will take effect on January 1, 2026.

The order builds on a previous standing order from January 2024 allowing schools to maintain a supply of reversal agents to help counteract the effects of an opioid overdose. A standing order is a preapproved written protocol from . . .