• Debora Afezolli, David Flemig, Eve Easton, Vanessa Austin, Bethann Scarborough, and Cardinale B Smith.
• Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine (D.A.), Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA. Electronic address: Debora.afezolli@mssm.edu.
• J Pain Symptom Manage. 2023 Apr 1; 65 (4): e309e314e309-e314.

BackgroundLimited data exist on when to offer naloxone to cancer patients on opioid therapy.MeasuresWe assessed patient and clinician attitudes on naloxone education (done via surveys at initial and follow up visits) and prescribing rates (via chart reviews) at a single ambulatory palliative care practice. Pharmacy records assessed naloxone dispense rates.InterventionDuring a three-month period, all new patients receiving opioid therapy were offered naloxone. Standardized educational materials on opioid safety and naloxone use were created and shared by clinical team.OutcomesNaloxone prescribing rates increased from 5% to 66%. 92% (n = 23) of clinicians reported education/prescribing took ≤ five minutes, and 100% reported either a positive or neutral impact on the encounter. A total of 81% (n = 25) of patients reported no increased worry about opioid use, 68% (n = 21) felt safer with naloxone, and 97% rated the encounter as neutral or positive. 88% (n = 37) of prescriptions were dispensed and 67% of patients (n = 16) paid <$10.Conclusions/Lessons LearnedOpioid safety education and naloxone prescribing can be done quickly and is well-received by clinicians and patients.Copyright © 2022 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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