Naloxone: Closing the Access Gap

Opioid overdose deaths in the United States have risen dramatically in the last decade, largely driven by illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Naloxone, a mu-opioid receptor antagonist, rapidly and safely reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. Increased access to naloxone has been identified by the US DHHS and the Surgeon General as a key initiative for reducing opioid overdose deaths. However, less than 1 in 10 patients who could benefit from naloxone have access to this life-saving antidote. Healthcare professionals can lead the way toward closing the naloxone access gap. This activity provides participants with data describing opioid-related harms in the United States, discuss cutting-edge public health and pharmacy-driven initiatives for increasing access to naloxone, and identify key research findings that pertain to strategies for identifying patients at risk for unintentional overdose and increasing access to life-saving harm reduction interventions.