The Naloxone Project

Key Takeaways

Discharge prescriptions for naloxone have fill rates of less than 1-2% among highest-risk patients, making direct distribution at hospitals essential for reaching vulnerable populations

Overdose and suicide combined are leading causes of maternal mortality, surpassing traditional obstetrical complications like hemorrhage, eclampsia, and sepsis in multiple states

Colorado's maternal overdose deaths dropped 60% (from 20 to 8 deaths) in one year after implementing universal naloxone distribution programs in birthing hospitals

The postpartum period represents a particularly high-risk time for overdose deaths, and since most women give birth in hospitals, this creates a critical intervention point

Universal opt-out distribution models normalize naloxone access and reach mothers who may be struggling silently with substance use disorders

Naloxone protects entire households, not just the intended recipient, with studies showing it often saves fathers, children, and even pets from accidental overdoses

Tennessee's pilot program will distribute over 20,000 naloxone kits paired with first aid supplies across approximately 10 birthing hospitals starting in early 2026

Empowering healthcare workers with proper education on substance use disorders and harm reduction improves their interactions with at-risk families and makes hospitals more welcoming spaces

Quotable Moments

"How does a young lady like you become addicted to something like heroin? And she shared a story where she said, funny, it was because of an emergency doctor like you who prescribed me opioids for an ankle sprain."

"We're not always offer it along with all of the other medical care, behavioral healthcare, and addiction care that we should be providing. And so we really feel that those things should go hand in hand."

"Someone is at such high risk of overdose after they've experienced a non-fatal overdose. We know that that immediate timeframe is very high risk."

"I quickly realized that there are people outside of the medical institution who are doing a better job of caring patients than we were within medical institutions."

Overdose and suicide were neck and neck leading maternal mortality for our state. And that those causes combined were really more than all of the other quote unquote medical causes that we were seeing."

"In 2023, we just got this data, um, maternal overdose death dropped by 60% and they dropped from 20 in 2022 to eight in 2023."

"We have an opportunity to give 20002nd chances to families out there. And that's a beautiful, beautiful thing, right? Everyone deserves a second chance."

"This should be the standard of care. Okay? I know that we're asking you to be a part of a pilot and sometimes that can be a little scary, but the hope is that we iron this out so that this is truly the standard of care for every new mom, new family."

Show Notes by Barevalue.

No content or comments made in any TIPQC Healthy Mom Healthy Baby Podcast is intended to be comprehensive or medical advice. Neither healthcare providers nor patients should rely on TIPQC’s Podcasts in determining the best practices for any particular patient.  Additionally, standards and practices in medicine change as new information and data become available and the individual medical professional should consult a variety of sources in making clinical decisions for individual patients. TIPQC undertakes no duty to update or revise any particular Podcast. It is the responsibility of the treating physician or health care professional, relying on independent experience and knowledge of the patient, to determine appropriate treatment.