from the editor:
This article focuses on accessing naloxone to reverse opioid overdose. Patients Rising is keenly aware of the sensitivity and misrepresentation that sometimes accompanies talking about the opioid crisis. On our Patient Helpline, we talk to a lot of chronic pain patients as they encounter difficulty accessing sufficient pain treatment. Being able to access naloxone to reverse opioid overdose has merit in this discussion. If you are a chronic pain patient please consider the value in knowing how to access this opioid overdose reversal medication as part of pain treatment literacy when working with your treating physician. – Jim
As the opioid crisis continues to devastate our communities, it is critical that we understand the patient experience in accessing treatment and prevention measures such as opioid overdose reversal medications and educate patients about how to respond when they encounter barriers to such interventions.
Standing order policies are one pathway patients have to access naloxone, a safe and FDA-approved medication that is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. These measures or similar policies exist in every State across the country and allow pharmacists to dispense naloxone to you without a prescription.
THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE IN USING STANDING ORDERS TO ACCESS NALOXONE
Patients Rising recently surveyed our patient advocate audience and veterans — one community particularly impacted by opioid overdose — to understand patient and caregiver attitudes and experiences around naloxone standing orders and their effectiveness to expand access to opioid overdose reversal medications such as naloxone.
The results of the Patients Rising survey demonstrate that not enough people know they can access naloxone without a prescription at the pharmacy counter. We found that lack of awareness of naloxone standing orders on both the part of patients and pharmacists is a barrier to access naloxone.
Most notably, nearly one in five (18%) of survey respondents reported that they were not aware that they could use a standing order. One in every ten respondents reported that the pharmacist was not aware that individuals could access naloxone without a prescription.
HOW YOU CAN ACCESS NALOXONE IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Patients Rising offers the following tips and information to help you access this potentially lifesaving medication in your community.
- STANDING ORDER POLICIES ARE ONE PATHWAY TO ACCESS NALOXONE
Naloxone is a safe and FDA-approved medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. It’s critical that you have this medication on hand in an emergency situation. Standing orders or similar measures exist in every State and allow pharmacists to dispense naloxone to you without a prescription. Use the standing order or similar measure in your State to make sure you have naloxone if and when you need it.
- KNOW YOUR PATIENT RIGHTS TO OBTAIN NALOXONE
The Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) and SAFE Project are two organizations that provide helpful information on naloxone access in your state.
- ACCESS NALOXONE AT THE PHARMACY COUNTER WITH A SIMPLE PROMPT
Make sure you use terms that are familiar to a pharmacist when asking to obtain naloxone at your local pharmacy. For example, you may use a prompt such as, “I would like to pick up naloxone under the State standing order that serves as a statewide prescription for opioid overdose reversal medications.”
- KNOW HOW TO ADDRESS STIGMA AND ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF
If you experience stigma or questions when trying to obtain naloxone, know that you are not alone. You may use a simple prompt to address any questions you receive about your request, such as “naloxone is a safe and effective FDA-approved medication. I want to ensure that I have access to this medication in an emergency situation.” Read more about one patient’s personal experience that touches on stigma.
Explore naloxone resources on our website to learn more, such as additional information on using standing orders to access naloxone and a podcast episode from Patients Rising on education and stigma around standing orders.
Jim Sliney Jr is the chief patient officer of Patients Rising. He is a writer and editor, and the editor of the Patients Rising blog, including this article. Jim graduated from Columbia University’s creative writing program and has dedicated his career to helping to magnify the voice of patients across the country.
This article was written with assistance and support from Emergent Biosolutions.
