Surgeon General Urges More Americans to Carry Naloxone
The U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H. urged more Americans today to carry the opioid reversal drug naloxone. While most first responders already carry naloxone, Dr. Adams is asking for more individuals, including family and close friends of those at risk of an opioid overdose, to also carry the drug.
“Each day we lose 115 Americans to an opioid overdose – that’s one person every 12.5 minutes,” said Surgeon General Adams said in the press release. “It is time to make sure more people have access to this lifesaving medication, because 77 percent of opioid overdose deaths occur outside of a medical setting and more than half occur at home. To manage opioid addiction and prevent future overdoses, increased naloxone availability must occur in conjunction with expanded access to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder.”
All 50 state have passed laws to increase access to naloxone and, in most states, pharmacists can prescribe naloxone to those at risk and those close to individuals at risk.
Related: Naloxone Access in Community Pharmacies (updated January 2018)