As of July 1, 2017, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have passed naloxone access legislation, although the authority and protections provided by these laws vary across the country. This dataset focuses on state laws that grant licensed health care providers civil, criminal, or occupational disciplinary immunity for prescribing or dispensing naloxone. The dataset also captures state laws that grant civil or criminal immunity to lay workers who administer naloxone, as well as laws that allow third parties to prescribe naloxone to family members or friends of someone who is experiencing or at risk of experiencing a drug overdose. Finally, this dataset also identifies the various mechanisms used by states to allow pharmacists to dispense naloxone without a patient-specific prescription, including standing orders, protocol prescriptions, collaborative agreements, and pharmacist prescribing authority. This dataset was updated with support from the Opioid Research Working Group at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. The authors searched a legal database to find all laws and regulations (i.e., laws) related to layman access to naloxone in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Intramuscular (IM) naloxone injection carries a low risk of accidental needlestick injury (NSI). If the agent has an NSI after administering the drug, there is a risk of developing a blood-borne infection such as hepatitis C or HIV. Aftermarket nebulizers allow intranasal administration of naloxone without a needle. Most law enforcement agencies have determined that the additional cost of purchasing atomizers is worth the benefits of workplace safety if the needles do not need to be used to administer the drug. The EVZIO® Naloxone Auto-Injector Retractable Needle System is designed to prevent needlestick injuries. State: Colorado Part 3: Yes Standing Order: Yes Pharmacy Access Notice: The law allows dispensaries that have a standing order written by a physician with prescribed authority to dispense naloxone to at-risk individuals who are able to assist those at risk, a first responder or a non-prescription harm reduction organization. Other resources: stoptheclockcolorado.org/ Now that they are protected, access increases.
In 2014, the use of Narcan reversed 26,000 overdose cases. Another legal change concerns standing orders for the distribution of naloxone, which allow physicians to allow other employees, such as pharmacists or nurses, to dispense naloxone to anyone who meets certain criteria. While this is common in pharmacy, these laws may also allow for an expansion of naloxone distribution beyond the pharmacy to facilities such as addiction treatment centres and community agencies that reach a population that would not otherwise have access to naloxone. Twenty-nine states allow standing orders for naloxone and 12 allow people who otherwise cannot prescribe drugs to dispense it. The risk of liability to a law enforcement officer or his or her employer arising from the administration of naloxone is low. From a legal perspective, it would be extremely difficult to win a case against a public servant who administers naloxone in good faith and in the course of employment. Overdose response is no different from other bona fide efforts to provide emergency assistance. The Act does not cover all aspects of Narcan`s administration.
Due to the ban on heroin use, you can still violate drug laws, even if you are protected from liability when administering Narcan. While most states have passed laws to protect anyone who calls 911 to report an overdose, nine states do not: U.S. Senate lobbying records show that the makers of Narcan and Evzio, Emergent Biosolutions and Kaleo, have lobbied for access to naloxone in recent years. So do first responders, medical associations and the insurance industry. However, the records do not indicate how much money was spent on this particular issue and what position the organizations took on it. Unintentional drug overdose is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. Administration of naloxone hydrochloride (“naloxone”) can reverse an opioid overdose and prevent accidental death. Since 2001, states have enacted naloxone laws to improve access, simplify prescribing and dispensing by health care providers, and encourage the use of people who can help someone who has experienced a drug overdose.
The United States has laws to protect people who help those in need. Narcan is a prescription drug, although not a controlled substance, that can reverse the effects of a heroin overdose. However, many are reluctant to provide such assistance without knowing its legal status. Nearly half of states in the U.S. have passed naloxone access laws that protect “every person” from civil and criminal liability for administering naloxone. This immunity applies to law enforcement officers and other professional stakeholders who administer naloxone in good faith. If you or someone you know is at increased risk of opioid overdose, especially those with opioid use disorder, you should wear naloxone and keep it at home. People who take high-dose opioids (more than 50 milligrams of morphine equivalent per day) prescribed by a doctor, people who use opioids and benzodiazepines together, and people who use illicit opioids such as heroin should all have naloxone.