Since 2016, California has expanded access to a potentially life-saving medication for opioid overdose by allowing pharmacists to dispense naloxone.
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist indicated for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose. Starting 2019, California physicians were required to offer a prescription for naloxone, or equivalent, when prescribing an opioid in certain conditions.
A naloxone prescription should be offered, when appropriate, to individuals with history of overdose, opioid use disorder and history of using illicit opioids.
This medication should also be considered in patients with high morphine milligram equivalents and/or concomitant use of opioids and benzodiazepines. A naloxone prescription may be written to a third party individual who can potentially assist the at-risk person.
The above is an excerpt from a Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) monthly Drug Utilization Review (DUR) article, which provides timely and relevant information on drug-specific therapy issues. View the full article.