Objectives: To characterise the community pharmacy supply of naloxone by supply type -individual prescription, prescriber bag, and non-dispensed (supplied over the counter or expired) -during 2014-2018; to examine whether the 2016 rescheduling of naloxone as an over-the-counter drug influenced non-dispensed naloxone supply volume.Design, setting: Analysis of monthly naloxone prescriptions (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) and sales data (IQVIA), 2014-2018, for Australia and by state and territory; time series analysis of non-dispensed naloxone supply to assess effect of rescheduling on naloxone supply.
Major outcomes:Total naloxone supply to community pharmacies; prescribed and non-dispensed naloxone supply.
Results:During 2014-2018, 372 351 400 μg units of naloxone were sold to community pharmacies: non-dispensed naloxone accounted for 205 866.5 units (55.3%), prescriber bags for 155 841 units (41.8%), and individual prescriptions for 10 643.5 units (2.9%). Populationadjusted national naloxone sales to community pharmacies increased between 2014 and 2018 (per year: incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.15; 95% CI, 1.09-2.22). This increase was primarily attributable to increased volumes of prescriber bag naloxone (IRR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.50-1.78) and, to a lesser extent, increased individual prescription supply (IRR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.85-2.26). Non-dispensed naloxone supply volume was unchanged at the national level (IRR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.85-1.01); changes in non-dispensed supply immediately following rescheduling and subsequently were not statistically significant in time series analyses for most jurisdictions.
Conclusions:Total naloxone supply to community pharmacies in Australia increased between 2014 and 2018, but rescheduling that enabled over-the-counter access did not significantly influence the volume of non-dispensed naloxone.The known: Take home naloxone programs are effective for preventing opioid overdose deaths. Most overdoses in Australia involve pharmaceutical opioids, but little is known about how much naloxone is supplied in primary care, where most pharmaceutical opioids are prescribed.The new: The volume of naloxone supplied on individual prescriptions accounted for less than 3% of all naloxone supplied to pharmacies. Further, despite the 2016 scheduling change that permits naloxone supply without prescription, the over-thecounter supply of naloxone did not increase between 2014 and 2018.The implications: Although prescriptions are no longer a barrier to obtaining naloxone, further strategies are required to increase the supply of take home naloxone.
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