New Jersey Authorizes Paramedics to Carry Buprenorphine

TRENTON (Cape May County Herald) - The State Health Commissioner June 24 authorized paramedics to carry buprenorphine to treat acute withdrawal symptoms after patients have been revived from an opioid overdose with Naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug. According to a release, Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal signed an Executive Directive on that date allowing the medical directors of New Jersey’s 21 Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) programs to authorize paramedics to carry buprenorphine, an oral medication used to mitigate what can be severe symptoms of opioid withdrawal after a Naloxone reversal. The MICU programs can, but are not required to, stock the medication as part of the approved list (formulary) of drugs they can administer. “Buprenorphine is a critical medication that doesn't just bring folks into recovery – it can also dampen the devastating effects of opioid withdrawal,” stated Health Commissioner Elnahal. “That's why equipping our EMS professionals with this drug is so important." MORE
Source: JEMS Patient Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: News Patient Care Administration and Leadership Source Type: news