Trends in Filled Naloxone Prescriptions Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

Abstract

Substance use, including opioid use, increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.1 While overall emergency department visits decreased during the pandemic, nonfatal opioid overdose visits more than doubled, but few patients who overdosed on opioids received naloxone prescriptions on discharge.2 Studies show that increased access to naloxone can reduce fatal overdoses.In this study, we analyze the trends in filled naloxone prescriptions during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and compare these with trends in opioid prescriptions and overall prescriptions.

Publication
JAMA Health Forum
Nayantara Biswas
Nayantara Biswas
PhD candidate in Economics

Nayantara Biswas is a doctoral candidate in economics at Clark University. Her fields are in applied economics of health and labor among low- and middle-income populations.