HHS Recommends Co-Prescribing Naloxone With Opioids
WASHINGTON -- Naloxone should be prescribed together with opioids for patients considered at risk for overdosing, such as when they receive very high opioid doses, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said.
"Given the scope of the opioid crisis, it's critically important that healthcare providers and patients discuss the risks of opioids and how naloxone should be used in the event of an overdose," said Adm. Brett Giroir, MD, assistant secretary for health and senior advisor for opioid policy at HHS, in a statement. "We have begun to see some encouraging signs in our response to the opioid crisis, but we know that more work is required to fully reverse the decades-long epidemic. Co-prescribing naloxone when a patient is considered to be at high risk of an overdose, is an essential element of our national effort to reduce overdose deaths and should be practiced widely."
