Preventing Death from Opioid Overdose: Important Facts About Naloxone
Most people are now aware of the burgeoning epidemic of unintentional overdose due to prescription opioids. This has been well-publicized by the national news media (NY Times section here; Wall Street Journal feature here), and well-known to the public due to several prominent celebrity deaths linked to prescription opioids (for example, Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, and Philip Seymour Hoffman who reportedly received prescription opioids before transitioning to heroin). Prescription opioids or opioid pain relievers include many familiar medications that are prescribed for pain including oxycodone (Oxycontin), morphine, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), and hydrocodone (Norco, Vicodin).
