Naloxone access skyrocketed after new prescription-free policy 

Naloxone dispensing in Ohio rose by more than 2,300% after a new policy allowed pharmacists to dispense the opioid overdose reversal drug without a prescription. State lawmakers approved the legislation in 2015 in response to Ohio’s high overdose rates, which was then second-highest in the nation. Looking at data between July 2014 to January 2017, scientists found that naloxone dispensing spiked from 191 orders before the policy to more than 4,600 in the years after its implementation. Three large pharmacy chains increased their dispensing of naloxone by more than 3,200%, suggesting a widespread uptake of the new law. At the same time, the analysis found that those residing in low-employment and high-poverty counties were between two and three times more likely to have access to naloxone under the new policy.