Kaleo, the manufacturer of an auto-injectible form of the anti-overdose drug naloxone called Evzio, has donated 872 boxes of the drug to be carried in Alabama state volunteer rescue vehicles. The company had recently come under fire for drastically increasing the cost of one does of the drug but had recently indicated that it would sell the drug to state first responders at a lower price.
The drug is in a self-contained unit that provides audio instructions designed to walk a first-time, untrained user through the administration of the dose. The drug reverses overdoses by blocking the uptake of the opioid by the body’s receptors. Naloxone on its own has no addictive qualities, as it provides no pain relief or high. The regular availability of this medication in Alabama is critical, as more prescriptions for opioids were issued in the state than there were citizens.
“This medication is incredibly necessary for first responders to have access to while the opioid epidemic ravages the state,” said Whitney Polson, an Alabama Drug Crimes Defense Attorney with the law firm of Polson & Polson, P.C.
Naloxone is classified as a prescription medication in the United States. Normally, that means that to be legally in possession of a prescription medication, you must also be in possession of a valid prescription written specifically for you. Generally speaking, being in possession of prescription medications without a prescription is a crime. Alabama, however, is one of a number of states that have removed this requirement for the purchase of naloxone. Now, any individual in Alabama may purchase naloxone directly from a pharmacist without needing to provide a prescription. Decriminalizing possession of naloxone while also encouraging easy access to the medication should be beneficial to both those addicted to opioids and those trying to provide them care.
Easy access to naloxone works to decease the number of deadly overdoses. Naloxone, because it is not addictive, does not provide a situation that affects many of these individuals; namely, trading in one addiction for another. By decriminalizing the purchase and possession of naloxone, Alabama is taking the types of steps necessary to combat its own opioid crisis.
