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Credit: Nigel Brunsdon |
Now that Naloxone can be administered via nasal spray, the range of people qualified to use the drug is greater; naloxone was once only administered through injection which limited the drug's reach. “We’re happy to recommend the intranasal approach as an effective approach,” WHO expert Nicolas Clark said. “Naloxone is cheap but it’s limited really to emergency departments and some ambulance departments.”
Time is of the essence when it comes to overdoses, seconds can oftentimes be the difference between life and death. Many overdoses happen at home, a family member is oftentimes a witness to the overdose and could administer naloxone, Clark noted.
“If opioids are easily available in people’s bathroom cabinets, it might make sense for naloxone to be equally available,” Clark said.
There are 24 states with laws that allow increased access to naloxone. Such laws allow doctors to prescribe naloxone to friends and family members of a person who abuses opioids; what’s more, the laws remove legal liability for prescribers and for those who administer naloxone.
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