This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page describes naloxone, a medication that reverses opioid poisoning or overdose.
In 2021, opioid overdose deaths exceeded 80 000 in the US.1 Naloxone, a competitive opioid receptor antagonist that reverses symptoms of opioid intoxication and overdose by displacing opioids from μ-opioid receptors, is a safe and effective medication for preventing opioid overdose death. Naloxone meets US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criteria for approval without a prescription: its benefits outweigh risks, it treats a condition that can be identified by people in the community, it has a low potential for misuse, and it can be labeled to facilitate correct administration.
Chronic pain is common in the U.S., with anywhere from 11% to 40% of the adult population reporting daily pain.1 Approximately one-third of patients experiencing pain receive a pain medication.2 While the number of prescriptions for pain management have declined in recent years3, opioid misuse remains a significant public health crisis. Roughly 21-29% of patients who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain will misuse them.4
This increase leads to a rise in opioid overdoses—at least half are attributed to prescription medications—and morbidity and mortality. Numerous groups—including the AAFP, other medical societies, the National Academy of Medicine and the U.S. Congress—are emphasizing the need to improve chronic pain care.
