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Oliva EM. Saving Veterans Lives through Implementation of Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND). Presented at a Public Hearing on Exploring Naloxone Uptake and Use. Federal Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research; 2015 Jul 1; Silver Spring, MD. 2015 Jul 1.
Hearing was a collaboration between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Health Resources and Services Administration Introduction The number of prescriptions filled for opioid drugs has increased drastically in recent years. In 2009 nearly 257 million prescriptions were written for opioid drugs in the United States. This number rose to nearly 260 million in 2012. The increased availability of opioid drugs appears to be contributing significantly to abuse and overdose in the United States. In 2013 there were approximately 16,235 deaths from overdose involving opioid drugs. That same year, there were 8,257 deaths from overdose involving heroin. Naloxone, a mu-opioid antagonist, is a medication that can rapidly reverse the overdose of both prescription opioid drugs (e.g., OxyContin) and illicit opioid drugs (e.g., heroin). It is currently the standard treatment for those experiencing overdose and is commonly used by trained medical personnel in emergency departments and on ambulances. Its use among nonmedical personnel has also increased in recent years. The purpose of the public meeting is to explore issues surrounding the uptake of naloxone to treat opioid drug overdose. The meeting agenda will include topics on the clinical, regulatory, and legal implications of making naloxone more widely available. - Send written request for transcript to Division of Freedom of Information (ELEM-1029), Food and Drug Administration, 12420 Parklawn Dr., Element Bldg., Rockville, MD 20857
