Pharmacists Provide New Pathway to Naloxone
http://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/Pharmacists-Provide-New-Pathway-to-Naloxone
From the article:
In a policy statement issued in October 2014, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) said it “recognizes the value of pharmacists in assuring optimal medication therapy and promotes the pharmacist’s role in delivering opioid overdose reversal therapy.” In light of those sentiments, the NABP stated it “resolves to address the drug overdose epidemic crippling our nation by engaging with state and federal officials and representatives from national associations to support programs that involve an active role for pharmacists in expanding access to the opioid overdose reversal drug.”
Since November 5, 2014, a total of 25 states and the District of Columbia have passed naloxone access laws, according to The Network for Public Health Law. However, only New Mexico, Washington, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont make the opioid overdose agent available from pharmacists without a prescription.
In Washington and Rhode Island, pharmacists are entering into collaborative practice agreements with physicians to gain prescriptive authority for naloxone. Through such agreements, pharmacists “work more closely with providers and their patients to increase awareness of overdose risk and to increase community protection from opioid overdose death by greatly increasing access to naloxone, particularly to those who do not know their risk,” Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, co-chair of the Rhode Island Pharmacists Association’s legislative committee, told Pharmacy Times in an email.
“I hope that with this increased knowledge of the problem and one solution to this problem, naloxone, literally in their hands, pharmacists will help reduce the stigma associated with opioid abuse and educate more and more people about their risk for overdose and how to prevent death as a result of overdose,” Dr. Bratberg added.
Since November 5, 2014, a total of 25 states and the District of Columbia have passed naloxone access laws, according to The Network for Public Health Law. However, only New Mexico, Washington, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont make the opioid overdose agent available from pharmacists without a prescription.
In Washington and Rhode Island, pharmacists are entering into collaborative practice agreements with physicians to gain prescriptive authority for naloxone. Through such agreements, pharmacists “work more closely with providers and their patients to increase awareness of overdose risk and to increase community protection from opioid overdose death by greatly increasing access to naloxone, particularly to those who do not know their risk,” Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, co-chair of the Rhode Island Pharmacists Association’s legislative committee, told Pharmacy Times in an email.
“I hope that with this increased knowledge of the problem and one solution to this problem, naloxone, literally in their hands, pharmacists will help reduce the stigma associated with opioid abuse and educate more and more people about their risk for overdose and how to prevent death as a result of overdose,” Dr. Bratberg added.
Since substance abuse is – according to our judicial system – a crime.. half the states are on board for Pharmacists to treat CRIMINALS… when they OD.. Are these some of same people that won’t sell clean syringes to people who “they think” are not diabetics ?
Filed under: General Problems
“….. pharmacists will help reduce the stigma associated with opioid abuse and educate more and more people about their risk for overdose and how to prevent death as a result of overdose,” Dr. Bratberg added……A majority of these pharmacists are the same ones who won’t fill the opioids for the chronic pain patients now because they have already them lumped in with the ‘street junkies’…IMHO…This will just reinforce that belief further
is true that if a pts was prescribed opioids with in on year of death this is listed in the pts death cert
Someone left this post on my blog a few weeks ago that would suggest that it is true https://www.pharmaciststeve.com/?p=7955
I take issue with the idea that a drug abuse epidemic is “crippling” our country, but I guess that’s how you have to sell easy access to naloxone.
I think it’s a good thing that naloxone is available without a prescription, but from what I’ve read, the increased access to this drug has had only limited success in curbing this “epidemic.” Yet I don’t think there’s any question that it saves lives.
But I have a concern about naloxone…
Let’s say someone overdoses and is given naloxone. How does this drug affect the brain’s opioid receptors the next time this person experiences physical pain, like a tooth ache? Does the use of naloxone then increase a person’s sensitivity to pain?
And after taking naloxone, does it also increase a person’s sensitivity to psychoactive drugs? I’ve read that after the first couple of weeks after taking naloxone, addicts who then relapse are in more danger of overdosing.
In other words, I’m not sure that in the long run, naloxone is the best choice to treat overdoses; nor am I sure that adding naloxone to opioids is a good thing. But it saves lives, so…