Naloxone Prescribing By Pharmacists
On July 15th, 2015, Public Act 15-198, An Act Concerning Substance Abuse and Opioid Overdose Prevention, as part of the initiative to combat prescription opioid and heroin abuse was signed into law. A key component of Public Act 15-198 allows pharmacists who have been certified, to prescribe naloxone (brand name Narcan®).
You can find a complete list of pharmacies with staff certified to prescribe naloxone on this Naloxone Map.
The program is the first of its kind in the nation. While pharmacists have always been allowed to dispense naloxone, upon completion of the 2-hour course, they are also be able to prescribe naloxone to patients and caregivers in Connecticut. This ability to prescribe places a measure of responsibility on pharmacists, who will be providing the prescription and the product to the person, plus patient information and training on its use. In addition, depending on the individual case, pharmacists will serve as a portal for patients and caregivers into the substance abuse treatment system as needed.
Pharmacists are regarded as a pivotal link in the health care system, with multiple opportunities to interact with patients, families and caregivers Their front-line status in communities requires that they have every resource available to help people find ongoing addiction treatment if needed. Naloxone is a life-saving drug, but halting the overdose is only the first step to recovery for someone who is addicted.
Approved programs to train pharmacists:
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University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy (ACPE #0009-9999-18-652-H03-P)
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Pharmacist Letter (ACPE # 0422-0000-18-213-H01-P)
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Walgreens Connecticut Naloxone Training
Additional Information can be found at the following websites:
The naloxone certification course was developed collaboratively by:
Additional Resources