Virtually half of Mississippi pharmacists will not be readily storing and promoting naloxone, in line with a examine carried out by researchers on the College of Mississippi.
Greater than 40% of Mississippi pharmacies don’t carry naloxone, regardless of a 2017 standing order from the state that enables pharmacists to dispense naloxone with or with out a prescription at a affected person’s request.
That is the primary examine for the reason that passage of the order to analyze the accessibility of naloxone, generally often known as Narcan – a drug that may reverse the results of an opioid overdose.
Emily Gravlee, a fourth-year College of Mississippi doctoral pupil in pharmacy administration Credit score: Courtesy of Emily Gravlee
Emily Gravlee, a fourth-year College of Mississippi doctoral pupil in pharmacy administration and creator of the examine for her grasp’s thesis, mentioned it’s essential to have naloxone accessible at group pharmacies as a result of they’re entry factors for many individuals.
“If we don’t have naloxone accessible at group pharmacies, then that would probably signify a missed alternative for a affected person to obtain a life-saving treatment,” Gravlee instructed Mississippi Right now.
Utilizing a secret shopper methodology, volunteers cold-called 591 group pharmacies to request the drug: 328 had been unbiased pharmacies, 147 had been chain pharmacies and 116 had been grocery retailer pharmacies.
The report confirmed that solely 25% of unbiased pharmacies had naloxone accessible for same-day pickup, ensuing within the lowest proportion out of the three teams. Fifty-six p.c of grocery retailer pharmacies supplied naloxone.
Due to a demise within the household, Mona Arnold-McBride, government director of the Mississippi Pharmacists Affiliation, was not accessible earlier than publication to remark.
Sujith Ramachandran, affiliate professor of the Division of Pharmacy Administration on the College of Mississippi and one of many paper’s coauthors, mentioned there could possibly be a number of causes that unbiased pharmacies fall quick amongst group pharmacies.
Standardized company insurance policies could also be in place all through chain pharmacies to inventory and dispense naloxone, whereas unbiased pharmacies’ insurance policies fluctuate from enterprise to enterprise.
“I personally know some unbiased pharmacies that took an initiative to ensure they inventory naloxone and are partaking in hurt discount providers the place attainable, however that type of proactiveness will not be constant throughout all unbiased pharmacies,” Ramachandran instructed Mississippi Right now.
Robert Hugh Dozier, government director of Mississippi Impartial Pharmacies Affiliation (MIPA), mentioned the affiliation sees naloxone availability as a constructive as a result of it could possibly hold folks protected, however finally, unbiased pharmacies will every resolve whether or not or to not inventory naloxone.
“If the product is priced too excessive, and the pharmacy price is excessive, they may not be capable of inventory that product of their pharmacy,” Dozier instructed Mississippi Right now. “There additionally is probably not a market want for it of their surrounding space.”
In line with the Mississippi Opioid and Heroin Knowledge Collaborative, 78% of overdosing deaths within the state had been brought on by opioids in 2022, in comparison with 72% in 2021.
The College of Mississippi examine famous how naloxone was least accessible within the western a part of the state.
Naloxone Identical-Day Availability Beneath a Standing Order in Mississippi by County Credit score: Naloxone Accessibility Beneath the State Standing Order Throughout Mississippi. JAMA Netw Open. July 6, 2023. Web page 6. Copyright © 2023. American Medical Affiliation. All rights reserved.
Gravlee mentioned broadly talking, instructional interventions concerning the accessibility of naloxone could possibly be a helpful method for each pharmacies and other people.
“Possibly, greater than we understand, it’s a two-piece downside,” Gravlee mentioned. “Pharmacies might not know concerning the standing order or perceive the standing order, but in addition sufferers, folks, in the neighborhood might not know that they will obtain this drug underneath the standing order.”
Beneath the Well being’s Opioid and Substance Use Dysfunction Program by way of the Mississippi State Division of Well being, Mississippians can obtain free naloxone kits, which price about $100 with out insurance coverage protection.
The naloxone kits embrace two doses of naloxone, an index card on tips on how to acknowledge an overdose, the indicators and signs an individual might expertise and tips on how to administer naloxone.
For each one that requests naloxone, a pharmacist transcribes the prescription, and the order is then labeled and shipped to the person’s mailing handle.
There have been roughly 7,000 kits shipped on to people as of early September, in line with the state Division of Well being.
UPDATE 9/27/23: This story has been up to date to replicate why Mona Arnold-McBride was unavailable for remark earlier than the story’s publication.
Republish This Story Republish our articles totally free, on-line or in print, underneath a Artistic Commons license.
