A Frequently Asked Questions Guide for Naloxone Purchasing
By: Erin Russell
Health Management Associates released an FAQ on Friday, January 17, to provide guidance on naloxone purchasing decisions and address misconceptions about naloxone dosing. The FAQ highlights the connection between naloxone dosing and withdrawal. It also provides clear and concise explanations gathered from leading experts on the range of available products and the existing evidence base on dosage considerations.
This FAQ is of particular relevance to county or state governments and other naloxone purchasers, overdose responders, and lay and emergency medical providers.
The FAQ was written by Erin Russell, a Principal at Health Management Associates and DrPH fellow in the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, Tricia Christensen, a Senior Consultant at Health Management Associates, and Sara Whaley, a former senior research associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Key questions addressed in the FAQ include:
- What is the price difference between different forms of naloxone?
- What is the difference between standard dose intramuscular and nasal naloxone?
- Is there evidence that high dose or long-acting overdose reversal products are more effective at saving lives?
The FAQ emphasizes the value of overdose response decisions informed by compassion. In particular, decision makers should strive to reduce the risk and severity of precipitated withdrawal, which can increase the risk of a repeat overdose and reduce willingness to seek help in an overdose event.
The JHU Opioid Settlement Principles focus on addressing the opioid crisis through proactive measures, including naloxone distribution to people at risk of overdose. States and localities can put the Principles into practice by directing funds to standard-dose naloxone products proven to restore breathing without causing withdrawal, removing policies that restrict access to standard-dose products, and tracking and monitoring distribution in communities to promote equity.
About the author: Erin Russell is a Principal Consultant with Health Management Associates, where she leads a portfolio of projects that expand the reach and acceptability of harm reduction services. She has been immersed in harm reduction for over a decade, building her expertise through experience in advocacy, government, and nonprofit organizations. She is a Bloomberg American Health Initiative Fellow.