Naloxone

Naloxone
Opioid addiction has become an alarming epidemic in the US for the past decades. According to Bulloch (2016), the year 2012 had a total of 259000 Naloxone prescriptions due to opioid overdose. This necessitates the need to increase Naloxone accessibility among members of the community. Despite being a safe and easy-to-administer medication, Naloxone requires a physician’s prescription. However, doctors are always not within proximity whenever an individual is on opioid overdose and thus needs a quick response. Most US states have therefore endorsed the standing order that permits the administration of Naloxone without prescription. This is a pivotal move aimed at reducing the number of deaths due to slow responses to opioid addiction.

Health is sensitive on the response time to various emergency situations. An immediate response denotes reduced risks of the situation developing to acute level and thus limits the mortality rate linked with any medical complication. The statewide standing order on Naloxone prescription is based on a set of predetermined conditions which have to be met (Wheeler et. al, 2010). The standing order is open on the pharmacist administering the medication and the patient who is on opioid overdose. The bottom line is to have a team of harm reduction officers who are willing to train community pharmacists, Naloxone users and their close family members on how to administer the drug.

Pharmacists should be trained and permitted to administer Naloxone even without the doctor’s prescription.

This is aimed at increasing the distribution of Naloxone and therefore saving the lives of those who suffer from an opioid overdose. It only takes a short time to teach all pharmacists conditions under which conditions Naloxone should be used and means of administering the drug. In fact, it should be included in their curriculum to ensure that they are proficient in handling cases of opioid overdose. Consequently, it only requires a licensed doctor to issue a standing order which permits pharmacists to administer Naloxone even without the physician’s prescription.

Reference
Bulloch, M. (2016). As Naloxone Accessibility Increases, Pharmacist’s Role Expands. Pharmacy
Times. Retrieved from http://www.pharmacytimes.com/contributor/marilyn-bulloch-pharmd-bcps/2016/10/as-naloxone-accessibility-increases-pharmacists-role-expandsWheeler, E., Davidson, P. J., Jones, T. S., & Irwin, K. S. (2012). Community-based opioid
overdose prevention programs providing naloxone — the United States, 2010. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 61(6), 101.