How should I discuss a naloxone prescription with my patient?

A great time to bring up a naloxone prescription is while you are checking in about pain management with your patient’s current pain medication. Recent high-profile cases of accidental opioid overdoses (e.g., Prince) can be a great starting point for talking about the dangers of accidental overdose with opioids.

When suggesting a naloxone prescription, you can remind patients that naloxone is a safety measure not just for them but also for family members or friends who might take their opioids. It is helpful to use phrases such as “bad reaction” and “slows or stops breathing” because patients prescribed chronic opioids do not usually consider themselves to be at risk of an overdose. This can also be a lead into educating your patient about the dangers associated with chronic opioid use and suggesting alternative pain management strategies.

One notable best practice for naloxone prescription is to suggest that an at-risk patient create a “bad reaction plan” to share with friends, partners, and/or caregivers. Such a plan would contain information on the signs of overdose and how to administer naloxone or otherwise provide emergency care (as by calling 911).