Naloxone Prescription Mandates

Overview

Drug overdose continues to claim the lives of tens of thousands of people in the U.S. every year.  Opioids, both prescription painkillers and street drugs such as heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, are responsible for the majority of these deaths. In response, states have passed legislation to increase access to the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone, including provisions that allow for the distribution of naloxone through pharmacies. Some states have gone further and now require that naloxone be prescribed or offered to some patients.  This fact sheet describes those requirements and links to the relevant laws.