Naloxone distribution and education represent a key strategy in our country's response to the opioid epidemic. The HANDS Act would help prevent overdose deaths and limit the financial burden on patients by requiring Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE to cover the cost when medical providers physically hand naloxone to patients who are at risk of an overdose before they are discharged at zero cost to the patient. The HANDS Act will also empower the medical system to better care for patients at risk of overdose and create a system where every one of America's over 6,000 emergency departments can dispense naloxone. It will make care more equitable and effective and save American lives.

In the past year, we lost nearly 110,000 Americans to drug overdoses. That is a life lost every 5 minutes, three hundred lives a day. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that most of the individuals who die are young, and the disease of addiction, from which many are dying, is treatable. Nearly 100% of those deaths are reversible and preventable with naloxone. Several patient populations, in particular, demand our hearts and our attention. Overdose is now the top killer of pregnant and peripartum patients in the US, and adolescent overdoses have increased by 133% from 2019 to 2022. In many of the hardest-struck communities, we are losing a generation of Americans.

About

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The Naloxone Project (TNP) is a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to advance the health and dignity of people affected by substance use disorders by creating a medical system that reduces stigma and provides equitable access to overdose education and naloxone distribution to patients at risk of opioid overdose. We believe healthcare providers can be leaders in addressing the overdose crisis through education, naloxone provision, and destigmatization of opioid use disorder (OUD). TNP was started in Colorado, and as of January 13th, 2023, 110 emergency departments (EDs) and 45 labor and delivery (L&D) units participate in TNP, representing 99% of ED visits and 92% of L&D visits, respectively.

Six Principles of Change

PRINCIPLE ONE

Stigma is a powerful force that prevents care for patients with opioid use disorder and those at risk of overdose. Naloxone saves lives, not only through its actions to reverse an opioid overdose, but also through its effect of decreasing stigma. Naloxone is a symbol of care and sends a message that fosters further treatment and recovery.

PRINCIPLE TWO

Patients with opioid use disorder and those at risk for overdose matter. We must take the necessary steps to assure safety, treat overdose, and save lives through effective and sustainable naloxone distribution and overdose prevention and education.

PRINCIPLE THREE

Clinicians must learn to identify patients at risk for overdose and commit to placing naloxone in patients’ hands prior to their departure from the hospital or emergency department.

PRINCIPLE FOUR

Hospitals and emergency departments must commit to stocking and dispensing naloxone to at-risk patients.

PRINCIPLE FIVE

Payers and regulators must reimburse hospitals for dispensing naloxone, covering the costs of the medication so that there is no negative financial impact for hospitals that provide this service. Regulatory barriers for dispensing naloxone from hospitals and emergency departments must also be removed so naloxone dispensing is easy and can be implemented without fear of penalty.

PRINCIPLE SIX

By banding together, we can build a system of care that effectively identifies patients at risk of opioid overdose and reliably dispenses naloxone to such patients. Naloxone can also serve as a bridge and incentive for patients to return for definitive treatment with medication for opioid use disorder. Together, we can save lives and build the addiction treatment system that our communities not only need, but deserve.