{"id":244549,"date":"2024-08-29T14:23:17","date_gmt":"2024-08-29T18:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=244549"},"modified":"2024-09-23T10:02:34","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T14:02:34","slug":"pharmacy-standing-order-for-narcan-distribution-linked-to-reduction-in-overdose-deaths","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2024\/pharmacy-standing-order-for-narcan-distribution-linked-to-reduction-in-overdose-deaths\/","title":{"rendered":"Pharmacy Standing Order for Narcan Distribution Linked to Reduction in Overdose Deaths"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin sphnews-block-editorial-leadin is-style-text-over-image has-media has-box has-media-focus-center-middle has-text-position-x-center has-dark-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2309\" height=\"1299\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Pharmacy Drugstore Checkout Cashier Counter: Pharmacist Service Diverse Group of Customers Paying with Contactless Cards, Smartphones for Medicine, Vitamins, Health Care Products. Top View Shot\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan.jpg 2309w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-636x358.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-992x558.jpg 992w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-1500x844.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-1984x1116.jpg 1984w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-755x425.jpg 755w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-1628x916.jpg 1628w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-1600x900.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-1366x768.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-1280x720.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-854x480.jpg 854w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2024\/08\/pharmacy-narcan-900x506.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2309px) 100vw, 2309px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner has-opacity-80\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">community health<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPharmacy Standing Order for Narcan Distribution Linked to Reduction in Overdose Deaths<br>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">A new study found that Massachusetts cities with pharmacies that implemented a state standing order to distribute naloxone to community members without a prescription was associated with a gradual and significant decrease in opioid-related fatalities.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar sphnews-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">August 29, 2024<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/authors\/jillian-mckoy\/\">Jillian McKoy<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>Expanding access to naloxone is a key component of the national strategy to end the opioid crisis in America, and community pharmacies play a central role in distributing this overdose-reversing medication. Prior to naloxone receiving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/health\/narcan-just-got-over-the-counter-approval-heres-what-you-need-to-know\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">federal approval<\/a>\u00a0for over-the-counter availability as Narcan nasal spray in 2023, almost all US states allowed individuals to obtain the life-saving drug at community pharmacies without a prescription through a state authorization known as a standing order. But there remains a limited understanding on whether pharmacy naloxone distribution had any effect on reducing opioid overdose deaths in communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A new study led by a School of Public Health researcher examined Massachusetts\u2019 standing order for pharmacy naloxone distribution and found that communities with pharmacies dispensing standing order naloxone to community residents showed a significant decrease in opioid fatality rates, compared to communities that did not implement standing order naloxone programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the study,\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2822958\" target=\"_blank\">published in\u00a0<em>JAMA Network Open<\/em><\/a>, researchers from SPH, Boston Medical Center, Brandeis University, and West Virginia University conducted a retrospective multi-site interrupted time series analysis and found that despite an increase in opioid fatality rates overall in Massachusetts during the study period from 2013 to 2018, individual communities where standing order naloxone was dispensed at pharmacies observed a decrease in opioid deaths over time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the study occurred before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved naloxone as an over-the-counter product, these new findings provide valuable data that underscore the continuing need for state and federal efforts that expand access to naloxone\u2014including over-the-counter availability\u2014as part of a multifaceted approach to solving the opioid epidemic. More than <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/pressroom\/nchs_press_releases\/2024\/20240515.htm\" target=\"_blank\">80,000<\/a>\u00a0overdose deaths in the US were linked to opioids in 2023, and a community pharmacy is a key place that community members turn to for emergency harm reduction support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cExpanding access to naloxone through state-mandated standing orders saved lives and reduced opioid fatality rates across communities,\u201d says study lead and corresponding author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/ziming-xuan\/\">Ziming Xuan<\/a>, professor of community health sciences and epidemiology. \u201cThis new finding lends support to the FDA\u2019s approval of certain over-the-counter naloxone products as a key step for ensuring that community members who need this life-saving medication are able to access it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In absence of a federal standing order for naloxone, all 50 states and Washington, DC have some form of naloxone access laws that allow individuals to obtain access to the medication without a prescription in some capacity, but these laws may vary by state. In Massachusetts, implementing naloxone standing orders became voluntary for pharmacies in 2014 and mandatory by the end of 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the study utilized Massachusetts pharmacy data and public death records to examine pharmacy naloxone distribution and city-level opioid fatality rates across all 351 municipalities in the Commonwealth from 2013 to 2018, during which pharmacies gradually implemented the standing order, first voluntarily and then eventually by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/doc\/policy-2018-04-naloxone-dispensing-via-standing-order\/download\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mandate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After accounting for municipality-level sociodemographic and opioid prevention factors, the team observed a gradual and significant decrease\u2014by an average of 16 percent per year\u2014in opioid fatality rates in cities with pharmacies that implemented the naloxone standing order compared to cities that did not implement the standing order. The analysis also examined changes that occurred within the first quarter after pharmacies implemented the naloxone standing order, but did not detect significant changes. The gradual decline in deaths could in part reflect the time it takes to spread awareness to community members about the availability of nonprescription naloxone in their local pharmacies.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Importantly, the researchers say that these findings decrease stigma around naloxone usage and contribute to a substantial body of research that refutes the framing of naloxone as a moral hazard that encourages substance use. They also emphasize the need to evaluate over-the-counter naloxone distribution and its impact on opioid overdose, as well as examine how disadvantaged communities may benefit from this availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSupply factors, pricing, and overall awareness of over-the-counter availability of naloxone may affect its impact, so it is important to assess the diffusion of over-the-counter naloxone across communities over time and further evaluate its impact on reducing opioid fatalities, especially by communities that have been disproportionately affected by the opioid crisis,\u201d says Xuan.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories is-style-card has-two sphnews-block-editorial-relatedstories\">\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-title\">Related<\/h3>\n\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"600\" height=\"362\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2024\/05\/narcan-600x362-2.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Naloxone Kit\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Community Health Sciences<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2024\/few-college-students-know-how-to-administer-naloxone\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Few College Students Know How to Administer Naloxone<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">May 3, 2024<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"600\" height=\"362\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2024\/01\/Danielle-McPeak-cartoon-thumb-copy.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Cartoon depicting a narcan distribution event with woman sitting at a desk with supplies, close up of Narcan-related pins saying &quot;I Carry Narcan&quot;\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Alumni<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2024\/alum-danielle-mcpeak-qa\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Q&#038;A with Alum Danielle McPeak<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">January 26, 2024<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Expanding access to naloxone is a key component of the national strategy to end the opioid crisis in America, and community pharmacies play a central role in distributing this overdose-reversing medication. Prior to naloxone receiving federal approval\u00a0for over-the-counter availability as Narcan nasal spray in 2023, almost all US states allowed individuals to obtain the life-saving [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15205,"featured_media":244548,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[3485,1894,2178,3313,3887,1781,1735],"bu-publication":[3516],"sphnews-article-category":[3519,3525,3530,3531,3540],"sphnews-topic":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"profile_tax":[194],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/244549"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15205"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244549"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/244549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":244557,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/244549\/revisions\/244557"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244549"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=244549"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-article-category?post=244549"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-topic?post=244549"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=244549"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=244549"},{"taxonomy":"profile_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile_tax?post=244549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}