For National Opioid Awareness Day, anesthesiologists urge education, preparedness as drug becomes available over the counter this month
Today, on National Opioid Awareness Day, the Michigan Society of Anesthesiologists (MSA) applauds the greater accessibility of naloxone, a drug that can reverse opioid overdoses. Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved over-the-counter distribution of Narcan, the brand name drug made with naloxone. Now thousands of doses of the drug are headed to Michigan pharmacies this month.
The MSA says making naloxone available over the counter is a significant step to better fight opioid overdoses, which killed 2,900 people in Michigan in 2022.
“Having naloxone available over the counter is revolutionary,” said Dr. Adnan Hussain, a board-certified anesthesiologist with advanced fellowship training in pain management and the associate program director of anesthesiology at Henry Ford Health. “It will save a lot of lives, both for people who have been prescribed opioids and then got addicted or for those who take opioids without a prescription.”
MSA encourages families and individuals living with opioids in the home as well as public locales, such as schools and live entertainment venues, to include naloxone in first aid kits. Additionally, carrying a dose of naloxone and learning how to use the medication is important to help prevent overdoses.
“It’s long overdue to have naloxone available without a prescription for people in Michigan and around the country,” said Dr. Chad Brummett, a board-certified anesthesiologist, pain physician and co-director of the Opioid Research Institute at the University of Michigan. “Having naloxone available over the counter means people can access the lifesaving drug with anonymity. We hope further barriers to access will come down, such as cost.”
Naloxone is available at pharmacies across the state and at various nonprofit and local health organizations. Naloxone is administered via a nasal spray and is intended for use in accidental overdose situations.
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