BMJ Open,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
14(5), P. e078592 - e078592
Published: May 1, 2024
Background
Opioid
overdoses
in
the
USA
have
increased
to
unprecedented
levels.
Administration
of
opioid
antagonist
naloxone
can
prevent
overdoses.
Objective
This
study
was
conducted
reveal
pharmacoepidemiologic
patterns
prescribing
Medicaid
patients
from
2018
2021
as
well
Medicare
2019.
Design
Observational
Setting
US
and
claims
Intervention
The
State
Drug
Utilisation
Data
File
utilised
extract
information
on
number
prescriptions
amount
prescribed
at
a
national
state
level.
Provider
Payment
also
analyse
prescription
data
Outcome
measures
States
with
rates
that
were
outliers
quartile
analysis
noted.
Results
generic
per
100
000
enrollees
decreased
by
5.3%,
whereas
brand
245.1%
2021.
There
33.1-fold
difference
between
highest
(New
Mexico=1809.5)
lowest
(South
Dakota=54.6)
states
saw
30.4-fold
Mexico)
(also
South
Dakota)
after
correcting
enrollees.
Conclusions
pronounced
increase
indicates
response
this
widespread
public
health
emergency.
Further
research
into
origins
state-level
disparities
is
warranted.
JAMA Health Forum,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
5(7), P. e241920 - e241920
Published: July 26, 2024
The
US
Food
and
Drug
Administration
approved
Narcan,
a
nasal
spray
formulation
of
naloxone,
for
sale
as
an
over-the-counter
(OTC)
medication
in
March
2023.
purpose
OTC
approval
was
to
improve
naloxone
accessibility
reduce
opioid
overdoses;
however,
research
has
not
yet
evaluated
whether
naloxone's
availability
cost
changed
since
this
policy
implemented.
Substance Use & Addiction Journal,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
45(2), P. 211 - 221
Published: Jan. 4, 2024
Background:
Concerns
have
been
raised
that
pharmacists
sometimes
act
as
barriers
to
patients
with
opioid
use
disorder
(OUD)
accessing
buprenorphine
treatment.
The
present
research
explores
how
community
pharmacists’
endorsement
(vs
non-endorsement)
of
stigmatizing
beliefs
about
taking
relate
intentions,
comfort,
and
decisions
regarding
dispensing
for
OUD.
In
addition,
we
assessed
attitudes
toward
risk
in
pharmacy
practice
a
novel
correlate
intentions
decisions.
Methods:
A
sample
207
active
community-based
practicing
the
United
States
responded
survey
items
measuring
stigma,
tolerance,
dispense
buprenorphine.
included
2
vignettes
which
presented
prescription
buprenorphine,
respondents
rated
their
comfort
vignette.
Results:
Results
suggest
both
stigma
treat
OUD
tolerance
settings
are
related
differences
willingness
Conclusions:
Findings
support
need
interventions
reduce
associated
among
is
an
important
determinant
behavior
merits
further
study.
Integrated Pharmacy Research and Practice,
Journal Year:
2021,
Volume and Issue:
Volume 10, P. 13 - 21
Published: Feb. 1, 2021
Since
1999,
annual
opioid-related
overdose
(ORO)
mortality
has
increased
more
than
six-fold.
In
response
to
this
crisis,
the
US
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services
outlined
a
5-point
strategy
reduce
ORO
which
included
widespread
distribution
naloxone,
an
opioid
antagonist
that
can
rapidly
reverse
overdose.
Increased
been
facilitated
by
implementation
naloxone
access
laws
in
each
state
aimed
at
increasing
community
naloxone.
While
these
differ
from
state-to-state,
most
contain
mechanisms
enable
pharmacists
dispense
without
patient-specific
prescription.
These
have
enhanced
distribution,
both
pharmacies
education
programs,
produced
positive
effects
on
mortality.
However,
growing
body
evidence
revealed
significant
barriers
remain,
deaths
continued
climb.
Given
concerns,
there
push
among
some
clinicians
policymakers
for
Food
Drug
Administration
re-classify
as
over-the-counter
(OTC)
medication
means
further
increase
its
accessibility.
If
OTC
transition
occurs,
educational
outreach
funding
clinical
innovations
will
continue
be
crucial
given
important
role
health
professionals
recommending
people
risk
experiencing
or
witnessing
ORO.
Recognizing
severity
public
we
believe
transitioning
formulations
approved
layperson
use
status
would
result
net
benefit
through
access.
such
change
should
combined
with
measures
ensure
affordability.
Substance Abuse,
Journal Year:
2022,
Volume and Issue:
43(1), P. 901 - 905
Published: Jan. 1, 2022
Access
to
the
opioid
antidote
naloxone
is
a
critical
component
of
addressing
crisis.
Naloxone
population-level
prevention
intervention
associated
with
substantial
reductions
in
overdose
mortality
and
reduction
nonfatal
overdose.
Pharmacies’
pivotal
role
dispensing
medications
like
buprenorphine
for
treatment
use
disorder
selling
nonprescription
syringes
places
them
at
crossroads
access
risk
mitigation
methods
provision.
Testing
ways
optimize
pharmacy-based
provision
will
be
key
as
country
expands
implementation
through
medical
system.
In
Respond
Prevent
Study,
we
conducted
large,
practical
study
pharmacy-focused
sample
Washington,
Oregon,
Massachusetts
New
Hampshire
community
chain
pharmacies
increase
improve
safety.
The
integrated
two
evidence-based
educational
toolkits
streamlined
materials
enhance
focus
on
policy,
stigma
reduction,
patient
communications
around
naloxone,
access.
real-world
implemented
stepped
wedge,
clustered
randomized
trial
design
across
175
evaluate
effectiveness
increasing:
(a)
pharmacy
based
distribution
rates,
naloxone-related
engagement,
pharmacist
technicians’
attitudes,
knowledge,
perceived
behavioral
control
self-efficacy
toward
naloxone;
(b)
syringe
sales,
(secondary
outcomes).
This
commentary
provides
brief
narrative
about
presents
insights
adaptations
our
protocol,
including
those
adopted
during
unprecedented
COVID-19
pandemic
further
compounded
by
Western
wildfires
2020.
