Women In An Opioid Addiction Treatment Program Do Not Know How To Obtain Naloxone

West Virginia leads the nation in death rates due to opioid abuse. Providing naloxone to people who use drugs, their friends, and families has been shown to decrease the number of deaths from overdose. In 2016, West Virginia passed legislation allowing access to naloxone (Narcan®) without a prescription. We report on the knowledge and availability of naloxone in a cohort of pregnant women in a medication assisted treatment program. Twenty-six consecutive opioid addicted gravidas enrolling in a medication assisted treatment program were queried regarding their knowledge about and access to naloxone. They were also asked if they lived with or were frequently around people who use drugs without a prescription. Of the twenty-six respondents, twenty-four (92.3%) either lived in a home or had regular contact with someone who used drugs obtained illegally. Twenty-three (88.5%) had knowledge of naloxone. Only two (7.7%) reported knowing how to access naloxone. In our small sample size, people at the highest risk of needing naloxone to prevent overdose in themselves or close contacts did not know how to obtain naloxone.