Overdose Drug Now Available Without Prescription In Maryland

MARYLAND — A lifesaving, non-addictive prescription drug that can reverse an opioid overdose is now being made available to all Maryland residents without a prescription under a statewide standing order by Maryland's deputy secretary for public health services.

“By allowing even more people access to naloxone, we're helping to save lives,” Clay Stamp, executive director of the Opioid Operational Command Center, said in a statement. “We must remember though, that ultimately, those suffering from the disease of addiction or substance use disorder must be linked to additional treatment to aid in their recovery.”

Previously naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, was available only to those trained and certified under the Maryland Overdose Response Program.Under the new order, pharmacies can now dispense two doses of naloxone and the paraphernalia needed to administer it.

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Single doses of naloxone have been demonstrated as effective in reversing a heroin overdose, but more potent drugs like fentanyl tend to require multiple doses to reverse an overdose, health officials said.

In March, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a heroin and opioid state of emergency for Maryland. There were 1,089 opioid-related deaths in Maryland in 2015, and a record number of 2,089 deaths in 2016, state health officials report. This is a 66 percent increase from 2015’s data, and the largest surge was seen in residents 55 and older.

The executive order signed in March delegates emergency powers to state and local emergency management officials so they can fast-track coordination among government agencies and community organizations, including private sector and nonprofit entities, to address the opioid crisis, according to Hogan.

There will be $50 million in new funding over a five-year period allocated by the state to address the crisis, Hogan and Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford announced. The funding will support Maryland’s prevention, recovery and enforcement efforts, according to a statement from the Hogan administration.

Police and emergency responders across Maryland have seen fentanyl mixed with heroin accelerate the number of overdoses. The pain-killing drug given by hospitals to surgery patients is much stronger, and users are taking the same dosage, which their bodies can’t handle. And in 2017, strings of overdoses, both fatal and non-fatal, were tied to carfentanil, a large animal tranquilizer, being added to illicit drugs.

Experts say that many heroin users in the state are people who became addicted to prescription narcotics following an injury or surgery, then begin to use cheaper illicit heroin when they can no longer obtain prescriptions for legal opioids.

State health officials remind residents that you should always call 911 or take someone to the hospital in any overdose situation.

Maryland residents who need help finding substance abuse treatment resources should visit the Department of Health website for links to substance abuse treatment facilities. Or call the Maryland Crisis Hotline, which provides 24/7 support, at 1-800-422-0009.

If you know of someone who could use treatment for substance abuse, treatment facilities can be located by location and program characteristics online.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons