California Bill Would Allow Pharmacists to Dispense Naloxone Under Approved Protocol

In response to the growing rate of opiate overdose fatalities in California, a bill aimed at expanding access to naloxone hydrochloride has been introduced to the state assembly. If approved, the bill (AB 1535), will allow pharmacists who have completed a training program on the use of opioid antagonists to dispense the overdose reversal medication to those who may be in contact with at-risk patients. The bill calls for guidelines for such dispensing to be developed by the California State Board of Pharmacy and the state’s medical board. If administered by a trained health care provider or layperson, naloxone can work within minutes to restore breathing in people who have overdosed on opiate drugs, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and heroin, notes a press release from the office of the bill’s sponsor, Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica).