Broader availability of opioid overdose drug is saving lives

America ’s opioid addiction epidemic was one of the biggest health stories of 2016, as reflected in the intense media coverage the topic received — and it is no wonder why. The number of deaths involving prescription opioid medications and heroin continues to rise, having quadrupled since 1999. Some 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.One key strategy in the battle to curb opioid overdose deaths has been the use of the drug naloxone, which emergency medical personnel and first responders have used for years to treat people suffering from an overdose. Use of naloxone, which blocks or reverses the effects of an overdose, has been shown to reduce the rates of death from overdose.Dr. Larissa Mooney, a psychiatrist who specializes in treatment of substance abuse disorders, recently discussed the topic of naloxone and some of the issues surrounding its use. Mooney is an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of theUCLA Addiction Medicine Clinic.For those unfamiliar with the medication, can you describe what naloxone is?Naloxone is a medication that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. Opioids can be anything from common painkillers, such as oxycodone or hydrocodone to heroin. In an overdose, the person feels sleepy and eventually their breathing centers may shut down. Emergency room personnel have used naloxone for many years.  Admi...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news