More Is Not Always Better: Challenging Calls for High-Dose Naloxone

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved the medication for the reversal of opioid overdoses in 1971.4 When administered in a timely manner, naloxone can restore breathing within minutes and successfully reverse 75 to 100 percent of overdoses.5 Consequently, lawmakers and government agencies across the country have taken steps to improve access to naloxone. [...] 135 High-Dose Naloxone April 2024 Reversing Opioid Overdoses: Evaluating Standard Naloxone Doses in the Era of Fentanyl Naloxone: Defining “Standard” The FDA first approved naloxone as an antidote to opioid overdoses in 1971, during Naloxone an era when heroin dominated the U. [...] As of late 2023, every state has some sort 2015 of legislation that reduces prescription barriers to naloxone, although the reach FDA approved the first and strength of these laws varies considerably.13 In 2015, the FDA approved the intranasal naloxone product that was purpose-designed for first intranasal naloxone product that was purpose-designed for lay responders. [...] Naloxone Dosing and Fentanyl: Findings from Laboratory and Real-World Studies Fentanyl’s potency and rapid binding to opioid receptors in the brain are at the core of questions about whether standard naloxone can outcompete the drug and successfully reverse overdoses.33 Although research consistently shows that naloxone is effective at reversing fentanyl overdoses, some data from animal and labora. [...] While harm reductionists have widely opposed the adoption of such products, their growing presence provides an opportunity to assess their impact in the real world.43 Assessing the Impact of High-Dose Naloxone A study published in February of this year became the first real-world comparison of high-dose and standard-dose naloxone administration.