You are currently viewing Critics Say California Resistant to Strengthened Overdose Reversal Drugs

Critics Say California Resistant to Strengthened Overdose Reversal Drugs

Fentanyl, a drug that is up to 100 times stronger than morphine, has become a common adulterant in street drugs. Officials say this is the reason so many fentanyl encounters result in death; most people don’t mean to take it. When an opioid-naïve user ends up ingesting fentanyl, sometimes the drugs are so potent that normal-strength Naloxone, an opioid reversal drug, has little effect. EMTs have anecdotes of using multiple cans of fentanyl to attempt to bring fentanyl overdoses back to life. However, stronger and more effective opioid-reversal drugs are available.

Fentanyl Overdoses Are Becoming More Common

Fentanyl is now found in cocaine, heroin, speed, and counterfeit pills such as Xanax or Oxycontin. And they’re easier to get than ever. Law enforcement finds drug dealers on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Signal. When one forum becomes risky to use for their sales, they will find another. Sadly, fentanyl isn’t going away. Adulterants, instead, are getting stronger.

Carfentanil, an animal tranquilizer that’s been used for surgery on giraffes, is intensely stronger than fentanyl. Yet it, too, has been found in various common street drugs. A teen who has never used opioids could easily overdose and die from ingestion.

Kloxxado Can Counteract Fentanyl Overdoses

Last year, the FDA approved a double-strength naloxone product, Kloxxado. The updated drug is meant to save lives and counteract the effects of drugs like fentanyl. The drug is updated because many drug overdoses become deadly due to too few Naloxone doses available. It is also costly for EMTs and organizations to administer multiple cans, which may not do their job in time.

Kloxxado, the double-strength naloxone, can be administered more quickly than multiple cans of Naloxone It’s available as a nasal spray, which can be administered quickly. Other than that, it’s the same drug. So why is there little uptake by the state of California with this drug? Double-doze naloxone can clearly save lives.  is administered in the same way as the traditional nasal spray naloxone, and carries the same instructions, including warnings.

While the drug is FDA-approved, California has not yet chosen to use the drug to save more lives, even though it is within the discretion of health policymakers. Advocates are working to get the state to commit to updating their supplies with the more potent drug.