Access to overdose reversal drugs has been one of the most effective tools for saving the lives of people struggling with substance use disorder. But as more potent reversal products enter the market, some harm reduction experts are warning that they could be “too much” of a good thing. A drop in U.
S. drug overdose deaths that began in 2023 appears to be continuing this year , according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though public health officials are still trying to determine what’s driving the trend — and why it appears uneven among various demographic groups — harm reduction experts in Pittsburgh argue the prevalence of overdose reversal drugs can’t be overstated.
“We see people on a weekly basis who come in and say, ‘I had to use naloxone four times last week. I saved four people last week.’” said Alice Bell, director of Prevention Point Pittsburgh’s overdose prevention project.
She has seen naloxone, known on the market as Narcan, save lives since Prevention Point began getting the product into the community’s hands nearly two decades ago. Naloxone nasal sprays are now routinely distributed to the public thanks to a standing order by Pennsylvania’s state health department, which circumvents the need for a prescription to obtain the drug. Often the nasal sprays come in a 4-mg dose, but the state also allows for newer, higher-dose products that are twice as strong.
A stronger reversal agent, known on the market as Klo.
