August 24, 2017
Statement attributable to Jack Ende, MD, MACP, President, American College of Physicians (ACP):
The American College of Physicians supports the updated guidance document from the AMA Opioid Task Force for physicians and other health care professionals to encourage physicians to co-prescribe naloxone when clinically appropriate.
Death from drug overdose, particularly from opioids such as prescription pain relievers and heroin, is an epidemic in our nation. In our recent position paper on substance use disorders, ACP called for the expansion of access to naloxone to opioid users, law enforcement, and emergency medical personnel. While naloxone is not a treatment for opioid use disorder, it is highly effective for reversing acute opioid overdose and can be an important component in saving lives.
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 152,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.