Quote of the Week


"If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.



Preventing Opioid Overdose with Naloxone
Posted by:Jenn--Sunday, April 26, 2015

Unintentional drug overdose is now considered to be a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Administering naloxone hydrochloride (“naloxone”) can reverse an opioid overdose and prevent these unintentional deaths. 

Naloxone is classified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a prescription drug, therefore there are laws that govern both how it may be administered and by whom.  In general, each state creates its own laws about who can prescribe drugs, as well as what the standards and processes are for prescriptions.  In 2013-2014 alone, 20 states passed laws governing naloxone access.  States may allow legal immunities for both health care professionals and lay persons who administer the drug.  Click here for the Drug Policy Alliance’s map showing which states have naloxone access laws.

Pennsylvania is one of the states with a naloxone access law. Opioid Overdose Reversal ACT 139 allows first responders (law enforcement, fire fighters, EMS), or other organizations acting at the direction of a health care professional authorized to prescribe naloxone, to administer the drug to individuals experiencing an opioid overdose.  The law also provides immunity from prosecution for those responding to and reporting overdoses. Additionally, individuals such as friends or family members in a position to assist a person at risk of experiencing an opioid related overdose may receive a prescription for naloxone.

Click here for more information about Pennsylvania’s new law on the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) website.   Click on the red “Save a Life” banner in the middle of the page.  One of the links on this page provides a list of Pennsylvania pharmacy locations carrying naloxone; this list is expected to grow as the demand for the medication increases.  In addition, some pharmacies will fill prescriptions by mail.

No comments:

Credits

This layout (edited by Ken) made by and copyright cmbs.