How many such articles do we need to read about Naloxone and Naltrexone before we can shake a field stuck in the past to change.

How many such articles do we need to read before we can shake a field stuck in the past to change? Naltrexone, a medication approved over forty years ago, remains virtually unknown and is the subject of slander and misinformation. The approval of naltrexone in 1994 for the treatment of alcoholism should have been a watershed moment in the fight against alcoholism – a major killer. Before the approval of naltrexone, we had only one drug called Antabuse (disulfiram), which made a patient violently sick if he/she drank on it. Small wonder, it never took off. Naltrexone, on the other hand, just took away the desire for a second drink or not to drink at all. It is not punitive and, in many ways, acts as a ‘willpower booster’. Instead of embracing this breakthrough medication, it was relentlessly attacked, and the attacks continue.

There is much we can learn from the phenomenal success of naloxone in saving the lives of patients who overdosed on opioids. The success of naloxone did not happen by convincing physicians to prescribe the drug. Naloxone was taken up by patient and community advocates directly to the people at risk and first responders, who were strongly supported by state agencies by issuing statewide prescriptions for naloxone. Patients could now go to a pharmacy and pick up a kit without a prescription from a doctor. The FDA has taken another giant step by making naloxone an OTC product.

Naloxone and naltrexone are first cousins – they belong to the same class of medications called opioid antagonists. Naloxone is ideally suited to reverse an opioid overdose, while naltrexone prevents opioid overdose and prevents excessive drinking or maintains sobriety.

Why is naltrexone not used more extensively? There are special interest groups that do not want the field to change. Which disorder or disease do you know of that requires a patient to self-stigmatize herself/himself and seek treatment? Imagine if patients fighting obesity, AIDS/HIV were asked to become anonymous in order to get well and not seek medical treatment? Imagine if patients dying from AIDS/HIV were told they only had two options – condoms and AZT? The strong patient advocacy and militancy shook the federal government to its core and billions of dollars were invested into research and development of newer medications, and the quest goes on, and the medications are used as first-line treatment. The results speak for themselves. AIDS/HIV is no more a death sentence. We can’t say the same thing about alcohol and drug addiction. We need to ask a very hard question: Do we need ‘anonymous’ groups in this day and age and who benefits from it?

It is high time for naltrexone to have the same status as naloxone. Patients and their families should advocate their elected officials to increase access to naltrexone. A powerful ally could be the pharmacy association. Community pharmacists are key in helping patients access this medication and also educating them on naltrexone just as they have been doing with naloxone. Pharmacists, I believe, will be eager and willing to get involved because of the unique pharmacology of naltrexone – non-addicting, no abuse potential, zero risk of diversion.

I am sure there are writers and journalists interested in doing stories on the solutions to the raging drug and alcoholism epidemics .

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of Percy Menzies and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of any affiliated organizations, institutions, or other individuals. The content provided is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice or recommendations. Readers are encouraged to seek professional guidance and conduct their own research before making any decisions based on the information presented.