FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box 53313
1921 Florida Ave NW
Washington, DC 20009-9997
March 28, 2024
Statement on Biden Administration’s Overdose Initiative
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Doctors for America’s Substance Use Disorder (SUD) subcommittee applauds “The White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose” Initiative. The Biden administration’s initiative, the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose, to make the overdose-reversal drug, naloxone, more accessible is a critical step in addressing the ongoing opioid crisis. This proactive approach aligns with evidence-based strategies to combat opioid overdoses, emphasizing harm reduction and prioritizing public health interventions.
Naloxone works by displacing opioids from the receptors in the brain, allowing it to quickly reverse respiratory depression and other fatal effects of opioid overdose that may result in death. In 2021, the number of overdose deaths involving opioids, including prescribed opiates, heroin, and synthetic opioids like fentanyl, was 10 times higher than in 1999, killing more than 80,000 people. In an effort to expand access to this life saving medication, the US Food and Drug Administration approved an over-the-counter naloxone spray called Narcan in March 2023 and in July 2023, the first approved generic non-prescription nasal spray became available. However, despite these efforts, naloxone can be difficult to find and the cost may be prohibitive, which significantly limits the most vulnerable communities from accessing this life-saving medication.
Making naloxone readily available to first responders, healthcare providers, and community members empowers individuals to intervene emergently during overdose emergencies, ultimately reducing the devastating impact of opioid-related deaths. The administration’s commitment to tackling this pressing public health issue is commendable and highlights the importance of collaborative efforts to confront the opioid crisis.
We are urging all physicians and community partners to continue these efforts:
- Learn about Narcan distribution in your area and educate patients on how to use this medication.
- Urge companies and organizations to provide naloxone administrative training to all employees.
- Continue educating your peers, patients, legislatures and community members about harm reduction strategies and the vital need for accessible life-saving medications like naloxone.
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (2023). The drug overdose epidemic: Behind the numbers. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/data/index.html.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (2023). FDA approves first over-the-counter Naloxone nasal spray: Agency continues to take critical steps to reduce drug overdose deaths being driven primarily by illicit opioids. Retrieved from: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-over-counter-naloxone-nasal-spray#:~:text=Today%2C%20the%20U.S.%20Food%20and,for%20use%20without%20a%20prescription.
Christensen, J. (2024). Biden administration announces focus on ‘flooding the zone’ with life-saving overdose reversal medicine. Retrieved from: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/health/biden-administration-naloxone/index.html
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About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. DFA is an organization of over 27,000 physician and medical student advocates in all 50 states, representing all areas of specialization. DFA teaches physicians and medical students advocacy skills and does advocacy at a state and federal level. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine, and does not accept any funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies, which uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on Twitter drsforamerica.