• New Mexico had the eighth highest drug overdose death rate in the nation in 2015. Naloxone is a safe and effective medication that reverses the effects of prescription opioids and heroin, thereby preventing opioid overdose death.
• In 2014, the NM Board of Pharmacy (BOP) approved pharmacist prescriptive authority for naloxone. The BOP naloxone protocol requires that pharmacists complete a 4-hour training initially and 2 hours of continuing education credit when renewing their licenses. In addition, the NM Human Services Department (HSD) expanded the state Medicaid plan to include coverage of intranasal naloxone to make it available and accessible to Medicaid patients in pharmacies statewide.
• Senate Bill 262/House Bill 277 was signed and the naloxone Statewide Standing Order for Pharmacists was written, which allows all registered pharmacists to dispense naloxone to any person who uses an opioid or any person in a position to assist a person at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose.
• During FY17, 34% of retail pharmacies dispensed naloxone. Medicaid claims' data showed that 1,024 naloxone products were dispensed.
• In FY17, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) provided technical assistance to numerous pharmacies with billing questions about naloxone.

• New Mexico Board of Pharmacy
• NM Human Services Department Office of Substance Abuse Prevention
• NM Human Services Department Medical Assistance Division
• New Mexico Pharmacists’ Association
• Community and chain pharmacies and pharmacists
• Managed care organizations and insurance payers
• Pharmacy wholesalers (currently being explored)
• University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy
• Southwest CARE Center Pharmacy
• Managed care organizations

• Removing barriers to pharmacy-based naloxone dispensing practices.
• Implementing naloxone standing orders.
• Collaborating with state managed care organizations to add naloxone products to all insurance formularies.
• Peer-to-peer and community engagement with stakeholders.

• Remove barriers to pharmacy-based naloxone dispensing practices, such as ensuring adequate pharmacy reimbursement for naloxone and removing extra training requirements for pharmacists.
• Work with managed care organizations and insurance payers to include naloxone products on all pharmacy benefit drug formularies.
• Conduct peer-to-peer outreach to pharmacists through large chain pharmacies, professional pharmacist associations, and University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy.
• Promote awareness of the availability of naloxone in communities.

NMDOH Epidemiology and Response Division, Injury and Behavioral Epidemiology Bureau, Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention Program will work to increase the percent of retail pharmacies that dispense naloxone to reach the FY17 target of 40% as follows:

Q1: 15% of retail pharmacies dispensed naloxone. Exceeded for Q1 at 23%.

Q2: 25% of retail pharmacies dispensed naloxone. Exceeded for Q2 at 27%.

Q3: 35% of retail pharmacies dispensed naloxone. Missed for Q3 at 32%.

Q4: 40% of retail pharmacies dispensed naloxone. Missed for Q4 at 34%.

In FY17, the Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention Program provided technical assistance to numerous pharmacies with billing questions about naloxone and implementation of the statewide standing order. The Program contracted with Southwest CARE Center to provide training to pharmacies about naloxone, billing and coverage issues, and stigma reduction and worked with New Mexico’s managed care organizations on expanding coverage of naloxone. Additionally, contracts with community health councils and work groups around the state promote naloxone awareness at the community level, support local PHD-Harm Reduction efforts, and expand access of pharmacy-based naloxone by ensuring that their local pharmacies are stocking and dispensing naloxone. Pharmacy-based naloxone expansion activities were conducted in at least nine counties. The Program also began work on having pharmacies report non-Medicaid claims for naloxone as this will improve accuracy of the percentage of retail pharmacies that dispense naloxone.