When should Naloxone be prescribed to patients?

Naloxone should be prescribed to patients primarily when they are receiving opioid prescriptions that total 90 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) daily or more. This recommendation is rooted in an effort to prevent opioid overdose and improve safety for patients who are at a higher risk due to the potency and quantity of their opioid medication.

The decision to prescribe Naloxone is guided by the understanding that patients on higher dosages are significantly more susceptible to overdose, whether due to unintentional misuse or accidental exposure. This preventative measure can save lives by allowing patients, their families, or caregivers to have immediate access to Naloxone, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose if needed.

Options that suggest prescribing Naloxone for all patients receiving any medication, only for those in emergency care, or for all patients with any type of pain do not take into account the specific risk factors associated with opioid use. These other situations do not highlight the crucial connection between high-dose opioid prescriptions and the potential for overdose, making option B the most targeted and beneficial guideline for the appropriate use of Naloxone.