<P> Laws in many jurisdictions have been changed in recent years to allow wider distribution of naloxone . Several states have also moved to permit pharmacies to dispense the medication without the person first seeing a physician or other non-pharmacist professional . Over 200 naloxone distribution programs utilize licensed prescribers to distribute the drug, often through the use of standing medication orders whereby the medication is distributed under the medical authority of a physician or other prescriber (such as a pharmacist under California's AB1535). </P> <P> Following the use of the nasal spray device by police officers on Staten Island in New York, an additional 20,000 police officers will begin carrying naloxone in mid-2014 . The state's Office of the Attorney General will provide US $1.2 million to supply nearly 20,000 kits . Police Commissioner William Bratton said: "Naloxone gives individuals a second chance to get help". Emergency Medical Service Providers (EMS) routinely administer naloxone, except where basic Emergency Medical Technicians are prohibited by policy or by state law . </P> <P> A survey of US naloxone prescription programs in 2010 revealed that 21 out of 48 programs reported challenges in obtaining naloxone in the months leading up to the survey, due mainly to either cost increases that outstripped allocated funding or the suppliers' inability to fill orders . The approximate cost of a 1 ml ampoule of naloxone in the US is estimated to be significantly higher than in most Western countries . </P> <P> Projects of this type are under way in many North American cities . CDC estimates that the US programs for drug users and their caregivers prescribing take - home doses of naloxone and training on its use have prevented 10,000 opioid overdose deaths . Healthcare institution - based naloxone prescription programs have also helped reduce rates of opioid overdose in North Carolina, and have been replicated in the US military . Programs training police and fire personnel in opioid overdose response using naloxone have also shown promise in the US, and effort is increasing to integrate opioid fatality prevention in the overall response to the overdose crisis . </P>

Naloxone is used as an antidote for narcotic overdoses