New York Draft Rule Would Require Opioid Antagonists in Workplace First-Aid Kits
New York has proposed rules to implement a 2025 law requiring certain employers to keep opioid antagonists in first-aid supplies. The proposal, open for comment until November 22, 2026, would require accessible storage, at least one trained employee on site during business hours, and sufficient supply based on workplace factors. It applies to private employers covered by OSHA first-aid requirements, excluding government employers, and imposes no new reporting duties.
New York’s proposal follows a December 2025 law, later narrowed in February 2026, that applies to private employers already obligated by federal OSHA rules to keep first-aid supplies. The measure takes effect December 13, 2026, and the September 2026 draft rule remains open for public input through November 22, 2026.
The draft defines covered medications by cross-referencing state public health law, limiting them to FDA-approved opioid antagonists such as naloxone and others cleared by New York health officials. It sets no fixed unit count, instead tying supply to site size, layout, occupancy, risk factors, and prior overdose incidents.
The rule could affect private workplaces covered by OSHA first-aid mandates, their employees, visitors, and nearby responders. By placing naloxone or similar medications near first-aid supplies and requiring a trained worker on site, it may shorten response times during suspected overdoses. Employers might face modest planning and training duties, while government workplaces remain outside the requirement. The practical reach may depend on how broadly businesses interpret sufficient supply and accessible storage.