Emergency naloxone for heroin overdose

doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7569.614

BMJ 2006;333:614-615 (23 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7569.614

Editorial

Emergency naloxone for heroin overdose

Should it be available over the counter?

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Naloxone saves lives. Timely injection of the opiate antagonistnaloxone rapidly reverses the respiratory suppression of heroinoverdose,^{1 2} a major cause of death in young people.^{3 4} Recentregulatory amendments increase significantly the extent to whichnaloxone can now be used to prevent opiate overdose deaths.In June 2005, in the Medicines for Human Use (Prescribing) (MiscellaneousAmendments) Order,⁵ the United Kingdom added naloxone to thelimited list of medicines that may be given by injection "byanyone for the purpose of saving life in an emergency" (alongsideemergency adrenaline, glucagons, and snake antivenin). An emergencydose of naloxone may now be given to prevent death from heroinoverdose without specific medical instruction. In August 2005,New York state passed legislation (bills A.7162-A (Dinowitz)and S.4869-A (Hannon)) establishing that physicians may lawfullyprescribe naloxone explicitly for potential future opiate overdose,including the situation where it may be administered to someone. . . [Full text of this article]

John Strang, director

National Addiction Centre (Institute of Psychiatry/The Maudsley), London SE5 8AF
(j.strang@iop.kcl.ac.uk)

Michael Kelleher, consultant psychiatrist in the addictions, David Best, honorary senior lecturer in the addictions, Soraya Mayet, specialist registrar in the addictions, Victoria Manning, research worker in the addictions

National Addiction Centre (Institute of Psychiatry/The Maudsley), London SE5 8AF

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This article has been cited by other articles:

Kim, D., Irwin, K. S., Khoshnood, K. (2009). Expanded Access to Naloxone: Options for Critical Response to the Epidemic of Opioid Overdose Mortality. AJPH 99: 402-407 [Abstract] [Full text]
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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Sould it be available over the counter? Not without proper evidence!: Andrew J Ashworth
bmj.com, 23 Sep 2006 [Full text]
Naloxone is not the only opioid antagonist that can prevent lethal overdoses and good agonist treatment is also important.: Colin Brewer
bmj.com, 25 Sep 2006 [Full text]
OTC naloxone needs more careful consideration.: Andrew Byrne
bmj.com, 28 Sep 2006 [Full text]
Opiate Antagonist as punishment within drug culture: Malcolm Bruce
bmj.com, 30 Sep 2006 [Full text]
Naloxone as a reagent: Janusz Knepil
bmj.com, 6 Oct 2006 [Full text]
Risk Versus Benefit of Naloxone: Kate C Tatham, et al.
bmj.com, 25 Oct 2006 [Full text]
First do no harm: Alex D Wodak
bmj.com, 30 Oct 2006 [Full text]