Availability of Naloxone at Rural Georgia Pharmacies, 2019

As a response to the ongoing opioid crisis, every US state has increased access to naloxone through a variety of expanded prescribing methods, such as standing orders or protocols. In Georgia, a standing order decrees that any individual may obtain naloxone from a licensed pharmacy without a prescription. Prior research3,4 showed slow adoption of having naloxone in stock and dispensing the medication under the standing order. This cross-sectional study evaluated the availability of naloxone, pharmacists’ awareness of the standing order, and the cost of the drug from chain and independent pharmacies in legislatively designated rural counties in Georgia 52 months after the standing order was signed into law.