The antidote: 3 things to consider when co-prescribing naloxone

Community distribution, use by first responders and co-prescribing of the opioid antagonist naloxone has been shown to reverse prescription opioid and heroin overdose and save lives across the country. But how do you explain the safety benefits of a naloxone prescription to your patients without the stigma that overdose carries? Learn how one physician approaches this issue in a way that helps patients understand that co-prescribing naloxone is for their own safety and well-being. Naloxone has saved tens of thousands of lives and will save many more as its availability continues to increase throughout the country. Some patients with chronic pain benefit from opioid treatment, but these medications carry certain risks, including respiratory depression, so co-prescribing naloxone for patient safety is an important tool for physicians. Recently, a study surveyed more than 100 prescribers in clinics that were dispensing naloxone in San Francisco, and about 80 percent had co-prescribed naloxone, said the study’s lead author Phillip O. Coffin, MD, director of substance use research at the San Francisco Department of Public Health and an internal medicine and infectious disease specialist. “99 percent felt that they were likely to prescribe naloxone in the future.” How to talk about naloxone with your patients Dr. Coffin said routinely co-prescribing naloxone is important not just for patients physicians think may overdose, but also for safeguarding others who may have...
Source: AMA Wire - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Source Type: news