Standing order for naloxone issued as critical tool to prevent opioid overdoses

This week, as part of Washington’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis, the Washington State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy signed a statewide standing order for naloxone; an opioid-overdose reversal medication. The standing order allows any person or organization to get a prescription for naloxone directly from a pharmacy, rather than having to go through a health care provider first. This makes accessing the medication easier, with the ultimate goal of reducing overdose deaths from opioids. The Department of Health was directed to issue this standing order as part of legislation to combat the opioid crisis – Senate Bill 5380. WSHA supported this legislation and advocated for several important legislative fixes to remove barriers and improve access to medication-assisted treatment and naloxone.