Pittsburgh Review

Gov. Tom Wolf recently announced that the standing orders allowing residents to obtain the opioid-reversing drug naloxone at pharmacies has been expanded to help fight the increase in overdoses across the state of Pennsylvania.

This expansion involves a non-prefilled syringe with one dose vials of injectable liquid naloxone. Naloxone is a medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration designed to reverse an opioid overdose by restoring breathing to someone in the middle of an overdose, a press release from the governor’s office said.

“With this expansion of naloxone availability, each of us has the opportunity to be a first responder to a fellow Pennsylvanian amid the ongoing opioid crisis,” Wolf said in the release. “When an overdose is reversed thanks to naloxone, and someone’s life is saved, we are giving them another chance at life. This tool is free for Pennsylvanians, and it works. With it, we can help survivors down the road to recovery and treatment.”

The standing order was signed by Acting Secretary of Health and Pennsylvania Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson.

“I carry naloxone because I know that it can save a life,” Johnson said in the release. “I want to make it as easy as possible for every adult to have naloxone handy. With this expansion of the standing orders, all four forms of naloxone are now available, including the most cost-effective form in two single-dose vials and a non-prefilled syringe.”   

The standing order can be found online at health.pa.gov and can be presented at a pharmacy to obtain the naloxone. The liquid naloxone is the most cost-effective form of the drug. While maxalone can be administered by anyone with or without medical training, the Department of Health has online resources available for information about the drug.

“I encourage all Pennsylvanians to get naloxone and keep it on-hand because an overdose can happen anytime, anywhere,” Jen Smith, Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs secretary, said in the release. “This latest expansion of the naloxone standing order underscores the continued need to make this life-saving drug as accessible as possible and reinforces the Wolf Administration’s dedication to combating the overdose crisis.”