Table 2.
Knowledge and beliefs about practical implications of naloxone prescription: Legality and efficacy.
| Knowledge | Do not know n (%) | Strongly disagree n (%) | Somewhat disagree n (%) | Somewhat agree n (%) | Strongly agree n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge regarding legality* | |||||
| My patient or bystander could get arrested for being at an OD.b | 25 (28.1) | 39 (43.8) | 17 (19.1) | 8 (9.0) | 0 |
| My patient or bystander could be arrested for giving naloxone to someone who is overdosing.b | 23 (25.8) | 52 (58.4) | 8 (9.0) | 6 (6.7) | 0 |
| Prescribing naloxone for my individual patients is legal.a | 15 (16.9) | 10 (11.2) | 8 (9.0) | 21 (23.6) | 35 (39.3) |
| Prescribing naloxone to my patients to use on others who are overdosing is illegal.c | 29 (32.6) | 25 (28.1) | 16 (18.0) | 13 (14.6) | 6 (6.7) |
| Knowledge and beliefs regarding efficacy | |||||
| OD education is effective in teaching people to dial 911 when someone overdoses.* | 21 (23.6) | 3 (3.4) | 18 (20.2) | 34 (38.2) | 13 (14.6) |
| OD education is effective at getting people to give rescue breaths during at OD.* | 26 (29.2) | 9 (10.1) | 22 (24.7) | 28 (31.5) | 4 (4.5) |
| Naloxone is an effective tool to reduce opioid-related OD deaths.† | — | 6 (6.7) | 6 (6.7) | 42 (47.2) | 35 (39.3) |
| Giving patients naloxone for OD reversal will cause them to use more drugs.† | — | 39 (43.8) | 43 (48.3) | 7 (7.9) | 0 |
| Giving patients naloxone for OD reversal will cause them to use drugs in riskier ways.† | — | 37 (41.6) | 38 (42.7) | 13 (14.6) | 1 (1.1) |
| Giving patients naloxone for OD reversal enables illegal drug use.† | — | 44 (49.4) | 33 (37.1) | 12 (13.5) | 0 |
Note. OD = overdose.
*
Score range: 1 = Strongly disagree; 2 = Somewhat disagree; 3 = Somewhat agree; 4 = Strongly agree.
†
Score range: 1 = Strongly disagree; 2 = Somewhat disagree; 3 = Somewhat agree; 4 = Strongly agree.
a
In Maryland, this statement is true.
b
In Maryland, this statement is false.
c
At the time of the survey, in Maryland, prescribers were only able to provide third-party prescriptions to parties who completed state-approved training programs and received a certificate. This has recently changed.