Limited Uptake Of Over-the-counter Naloxone Despite Initial Surge In Sales

Sales of nan overdose reversal medicine naloxone accrued aft it was made disposable to nan nationalist without a medicine but past dipped quickly successful nan play pursuing debut of over-the-counter sales, according to a caller RAND study.

Over-the-counter income of naloxone peaked during nan first period of readiness successful September 2023, past declined quickly earlier stabilizing until August 2024, erstwhile location was a mini increase, according to nan study published successful nan diary JAMA Internal Medicine. The supplier tin forestall decease among group who person overdosed connected fentanyl aliases different opioids.

While a income dropoff mightiness beryllium expected for a medicine meant to beryllium kept connected manus until an emergency, moreover nan highest levels of over-the-counter naloxone income were only 7.5% arsenic ample arsenic nan amount of naloxone sold by prescription.

While nan FDA's support of over-the-counter naloxone was intended to facilitate entree to this life-saving medication, we recovered location was only constricted uptake for over-the-counter sales."

Bradley D. Stein, study's lead writer and senior expert argumentation interrogator astatine RAND

For nan first clip successful galore years, nan number of Americans who died from opioid overdoses declined successful 2023, attributed successful portion to nan accrued readiness of naloxone.

Historically, Americans person obtained naloxone done medicine aliases free distribution programs. But successful September 2023, naloxone became disposable complete nan antagonistic pinch nan dream it would summation entree to nan overdose reversal treatment.

Researchers analyzed income accusation to cipher nan county-level over-the-counter naloxone mean income value and units sold per cardinal region residents from September 2023 done nan past week of September 2024.

They besides reviewed pharmacy-dispensed naloxone rates from 2023, and program-distributed naloxone rates from August 2022 to August 2024.

There was sizeable variety successful nan over-the-counter income of naloxone crossed states, pinch Western states mostly reporting higher sales. The nationalist mean was 396 over-the-counter units sold per cardinal residents from September 2023 done September 2024. The mean costs for a two-pack of naloxone nasal spray was astir $45. 

The magnitude of naloxone distributed by pharmacies aliases free programs was overmuch larger than over-the-counter sales. State-level pharmacy-dispensed units per cardinal residents averaged 7,063 successful 2023, while program-distributed naloxone averaged 12,015 units per cardinal residents from August 2022 done August 2024.

Biweekly over-the-counter income of naloxone peaked astatine astir 22.5 units per cardinal from Sept. 16 to Oct. 21, 2023, past declined to astir 15 units per cardinal successful early December 2023. Sales remained betwixt 11 to 15 units per cardinal done September 2024, isolated from for a little summation successful August 2024.

"It's apt that nan comparatively precocious costs of over-the-counter naloxone has contributed to nan constricted sales," Stein said. "That costs is apt going to limit over-the-counter income of this important medicine successful nan conflict against nan nation's opioid crisis."

Researchers opportunity that further investigation should analyse factors perchance influencing request for over-the-counter naloxone, specified arsenic perchance requiring wellness security sum for over-the-counter income and promoting visible placement successful unit outlets.

Research reported successful this property merchandise was supported by nan National Institute connected Drug Abuse of nan National Institutes of Health nether grant number P50DA046351. The contented is solely nan work of nan authors and does not needfully correspond nan charismatic views of nan National Institutes of Health.

Other authors of nan study are Rachel K. Landis, Rosanna Smart, Phoebe Levine, Abigail Kessler and Mark Sorbero, each of RAND, and Rosalie Liccardo Pacula of nan University of Southern California.

RAND Health Care promotes healthier societies by improving wellness attraction systems successful nan United States and different countries.