ASAM Applauds Surgeon General for Urging Greater Availability of Life-Saving Opioid Overdose Reversal Medication
Advisory Recommends Family, Friends, and Those Personally at Risk of an Opioid Overdose Keep Naloxone Readily Available
Rockville, MD– Today, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) applauded U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, for encouraging more individuals, including family, friends, and those at risk for opioid overdose, to keep on hand naloxone, an FDA-approved medication that can reverse opioid-induced respiratory depression. In an advisory issued today by the Surgeon General’s Office, Dr. Adams announced that he is now making this recommendation as a life-saving measure.
“We applaud the Surgeon General for recognizing the importance of having naloxone readily available in the case of opioid overdose and are hopeful that this new advisory will go a long way to ensure individuals at risk of opioid overdose will have the benefit of immediate access to a life-saving medication,” said Kelly J. Clark, MD, MBA, DFAPA, DFASAM, president of ASAM. “We must do more to empower family members, friends, patients, and first responders to intervene safely and quickly in the event of an opioid-related overdose and to ensure that increased naloxone availability is paired with expanded access to comprehensive, evidence-based addiction treatment.”
Naloxone is an FDA-approved medication that is typically injected or sprayed into the nose of a person experiencing an opioid overdose to stabilize the individual until more immediate emergency medical attention can be provided. It can be administered quickly and effectively by emergency response professionals and lay individuals who are informed about the proper administration of the medication.
ASAM supports wider accessibility to naloxone for individuals in a position to provide this life-saving intervention. To ensure patient safety, The ASAM National Practice Guideline for the Use of Medications in the Treatment of Addiction Involving Opioid Use recommends that clinicians provide a prescription for naloxone for the patient and family members and have the medication on hand to help save a person who may experience an opioid overdose. Patients, families, and friends looking for additional information on naloxone and addiction treatment are encouraged to review ASAM’s Patient Resources and Patient Pocket Guide.
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Contact: Christine Merrifield
Email: press@asam.org
Phone: 301.547.4140
About ASAM
The American Society of Addiction Medicine, founded in 1954, is a professional society representing over 5,000 physicians, clinicians, and associated professionals in the field of addiction medicine. ASAM is dedicated to increasing access and improving the quality of addiction treatment, educating physicians and the public, supporting research and prevention, and promoting the appropriate role of physicians in the care of patients with addiction. For more information visit www.asam.org.