A new Tennessee law allows authorized pharmacists to dispense the overdose antidote naloxone. Tennessee Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner says administering the drug can reverse opioid effects and prevent death in many cases, allowing time for the person to receive further medical treatment.
Pharmacists must enter into a collaborative practice agreement and take a training course. The pharmacist can dispense naloxone to a person at risk of opioid overdose or to a family member, friend, or other person to assist someone at risk of overdose.
The Health Department says those individuals can receive instruction on how to administer it from the pharmacist or online. The department says drug overdose is one of the top causes of death in Tennessee.
