PREPARE PATIENTS ON NALTREXONE FOR EMERGENCIES

When you prescribe naltrexone (oral or intramuscular), it's important to educate patients about how the drug interacts with opioids so they know how to prepare for emergencies.

I tell patients that if they are in a situation where they require pain medicine, the health care professionals treating them need to know they are on naltrexone. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist, so their pain may need to be treated more aggressively in these situations.

I also help my patients prepare for the possibility that they might not be able to verbally communicate with medical staff during an emergency. Therefore, I instruct patients to always have written information with them about naltrexone. We enter their prescription information into a medical ID in their smartphone. I also ask patients to download a wallet-sized medication information card (several templates are available online), and encourage them to order a medical alert bracelet. Some drug manufacturers offer these for physician offices to make available to patients.

Finally, I encourage patients to share information about naltrexone with their emergency contacts, who can be listed on the wallet cards.