BALTIMORE, MD (December 14, 2015)– Today, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen issued the following statement applauding the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for issuing a statewide standing order allowing pharmacists to dispense naloxone, also called Narcan, a medication that completely reverses the effect of an opioid overdose, without a prescription under the State’s Overdose Response Program:

“In Baltimore we believe that naloxone should be part of everyone’s medicine cabinet and everyone’s First Aid kit—and thanks to today’s announcement, this medication will be available to save thousands of lives across Maryland. We are proud to see that our state partners have followed the model we set here in Baltimore, when I issued Maryland’s first standing order in October. Since then we have put naloxone in the hands over a thousand individuals across our city, making it easier for people to get this lifesaving medication from their local pharmacist when they need it most. We look forward to working with our partners across the state as they implement the pioneering standing order model already in place in Baltimore City.”

Under a recent change in state law, doctors in the state of Maryland affiliated with local health departments are able to issue a standing order, allowing designated individuals, such as overdose response program trainees and pharmacists, to dispense naloxone without a doctor’s prescription. 

Baltimore City became the first jurisdiction in Maryland to issue a standing order on October 1—the first day the law was in effect. Since October, Baltimore has issued 1,600 prescriptions for the opioid antidote naloxone.

Dr. Wen has declared opioid overdose a public health emergency, and directed the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) to lead one of the most aggressive opioid overdose prevention campaigns across the country. 

As part of this effort, BCHD has promoted a citywide effort to expand the use of naloxone, training more than 7,000 residents this year, including in public markets, in drug court, and police officers. In the first month of carrying naloxone, four officers used the medication to save the lives of citizens.

Last week, Dr. Wen testified before the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) to offer her perspective on the opioid epidemic affecting millions across the country and to propose suggestions to improve federal policies to combat and ultimately end opioid use disorders abuse and overdose.

About 25,000 Americans die annually from opioid overdose. Between 2002 and 2013, the rate of those dying from opioid-related overdoses has nearly quadrupled.

There were 303 total drug and alcohol overdose deaths in Baltimore City in 2014, compared with 246 in 2013, a 23 percent increase.

For more information about Baltimore City’s standing order, please visit: http://health.baltimorecity.gov/NaloxoneStandingOrders