Naloxone is a miracle drug. Calling any drug a miracle can be problematic, but admittedly there are a few of them, in my opinion: penicillin, insulin, mifepristone and misoprostol, thorazine, viagra (cough, cough) and yes, naloxone. I think it qualifies as a miracle drug, something that works so well it is astonishing.
So many people fought so hard and for so long to have access to naloxone. It wasn’t always so available like it is in some places today. But the way that we are treating opioid overdose antagonists is changing. Many companies have price-gouged their way into profiting and exploiting a vulnerable population. They are bringing in naloxone analogs that they claim are more effective, without much evidence, but they do have serious side effects. And because the drug supply is only getting more and more unpredictable, with many non opioids entering the mix like xylazine and benzo analogs, naloxone may not help with overdoses of this kind. How can we navigate this shifting landscape?
Narcotica co-hosts Chris Moraff and Troy Farah speak with Nancy D. Campbell, author of the books Discovering Addiction and OD: Naloxone and the Politics of Overdose. She is a historian of science who studies addiction research and treatment at RPI, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, including at the U.S Narcotic Farm in Lexington, Kentucky.
Learn more about Nancy D. Campbell here.
Read “OD: Naloxone and the Politics of Overdose” here: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12054.001.0001
If you liked this episode, here are others you might enjoy:
Episode 36: Moral Hazards and Naloxone, A Toxicologist’s Perspective with Ryan Marino
Episode 65: Restoring Trust in Doctors Amidst The Overdose Crisis with Dr. Ben Cocchiaro and Dr. Ashish Thakrar
Episode 73: Oh No! Not Naltrexone! with Nancy Curran
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Producers: Christopher Moraff, Troy Farah, Zachary Siegel, Aaron Ferguson
Music: Glass Boy / Nomad1
Image: Image via VCU Capital News Service / Flickr // edit: Troy Farah
Intro voice: Jenny Schaye
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