Recommend Naloxone at Discharge for Patients at Risk of Opioid Overdose

July 2015

Prescription opioid overdoses may be slowing down...but deaths due to heroin overdoses have almost tripled since 2010.

The good news is that Rx opioid abuse is leveling off due to prescribing restrictions...higher cost...state Rx monitoring programs...and abuse-deterrent products (OxyContin, etc) that are harder to snort or inject.

But some patients are migrating to heroin...including those who became dependent on legitimately prescribed opioids for chronic pain. Heroin is inexpensive, easy to inject, and easy to get in some areas.

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Recommend Naloxone at Discharge for Patients at Risk of Opioid Overdose

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