The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Naloxone (or Narcan®) in 1971 to reverse the deadly effects of opioid overdoses. Naloxone reverses opioid overdoses because it acts as an antagonist at opioid receptors, meaning it blocks the effects elicited by opioid drugs (e.g., prescription opioid pain medications and heroin) in the body. In an overdose situation, opioids cause death through modifying the brain’s respiratory center—essentially, you stop breathing. By administering Naloxone, the ability for the opioid drug to stop respiration is blocked, and the individual resumes breathing. Initially, only healthcare professionals injected Naloxone in hospital settings, such as emergency rooms. However, in response to the growing prescription drug misuse epidemic, the setting and logistics surrounding Naloxone use has changed. A recent article summarizes the current status of these changes.
First, the article discusses the different policies some states are implementing to expand access to Naloxone, including recent laws that allow pharmacists to distribute Naloxone to individuals without a prescription. Second, the article discusses strategies for expanding Naloxone distribution programs, such as distributing Naloxone to large organizations that have direct contact with opioid users and their families and friends. Lastly, the article provides an update on the federal support for expanding Naloxone access, including recent proposals put forth by President Obama. It also reports an update for a new formulation that extends the ease of Naloxone use in community settings—adapting injectable Naloxone for use as an intranasal spray. The company that manufactures this new formulation has now filed for FDA-approval, which will help address concerns over whether this formulation is as efficacious and as fast-acting as the original intravenous injection.
For more information on Naloxone, visit:
The Harm Reduction Coalition:
“Exploring Naloxone Uptake and Use—a Public Meeting”, hosted by the FDA:
https://fda.gov/Drugs/NewsEvents/ucm442236.htm