Abstract
Naloxone is a common treatment option for the reversal of an opioid overdose. The law regulating naloxone varies from state to state and therefore so does the drug’s availability. The state of Rhode Island has legalized naloxone for over-the-counter use while a number of states allow prescriptions to opioid abusers and family members. The medical community as a whole appears to be divided on the issue of availability to lay persons. This is largely due to a lack of information on this relatively new subject, as well as discrepancies within the existing naloxone research in regard to the use of naloxone among the general public. This literature review provides an objective examination of the pros and cons of increasing the availability of naloxone to the public, with an emphasis on the state of West Virginia (WV). Due to WV’s high rates of opioid abuse and overdose, the implications of increasing public accessibility to naloxone could be invaluable in the effort to reduce opioid related deaths. To this end, a WV law that has recently gone into effect allows emergency personnel and family members of opioid addicts to carry naloxone. Ongoing research investigations will determine the impact of this law in regard to the overall wellbeing of the residents of WV and the implications on future laws regulating naloxone use.
Highlights
Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States (US) and is a global public health issue (Wermeling, 2013)
Nine of every ten overdoses involve prescription drug abuse, of which includes the overuse of several opioids such as oxycodone (CDC, 2014)
Bystanders may be less willing to call for emergency assistance if they think they have the cure for the overdose (WVU-ICRC, 2013)
Summary
Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States (US) and is a global public health issue (Wermeling, 2013). While the factors contributing to opioid overdose vary greatly among regions of the US, people in rural communities are more likely to overdose on opioids than those near cities (Levi et al, 2013) This geographical disparity indicates that there may be factors associated with a pastoral lifestyle that contribute to overuse of drugs. Prescription drugs attribute to nine of every ten overdoses in WV, which includes the overuse of several opioids such as hydrocodone, morphine and oxycodone (US Attorney’s Office, 2011) This misuse of prescription medication is the top criminal matter in many parts of WV (US Attorney’s Office, 2011) indicating that in addition to affecting human health, drug abuse in WV has deleterious sociological implications
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