2023-04-19 22:00:03
- The proposal proposes that all medicines with the active principle of naloxone be available over the counter in pharmacies.
- At present they are used as a treatment to reverse the effects of overdose due to opioid consumption.
- At the moment this type of drugs can only be supplied by medical personnel inside hospitals and ambulances.
Naloxone is a drug that is in the midst of controversy due to the proposal to make it available over the counter in Mexican pharmacies. All part of a project that proposes its elimination from the list of psychotropic substances mentioned in article 245 of the General Health Law.
What does it work for?
This drug is used as a treatment for reverse the effects of overdose due to opioid consumption. It is especially useful to counteract the effects of fentanyl.
Based on the above, the Chamber of Senators presented a proposal so that medications that only contain naloxone as an active ingredient are considered as those that do not require a prescription and their sale is authorized exclusively in pharmacies.
The reform to section IV of article 245 of the General Health Law is the product of two initiatives: one proposed by Senator Ricardo Monreal, and another by Senator Olga Sánchez Cordero.
In the ruling, the senators stressed that the Naloxone is a substance that reverses opioid overdose. It can restore breathing in an overdosed person and has no effect on people who do not have opioids in their bodies.
???? #HoyEnElSenadothe Second Legislative Studies Commission analyzed a supplement referring to the opinion that proposes the reclassification of naloxone. https://t.co/SJdun0XeUb pic.twitter.com/eMN7kOld8I
— Senate of Mexico (@senadomexicano) April 18, 2023
They added that since it is classified as a psychotropic substance by the General Health Law, it can only be supplied by hospital personnel and ambulances. The drawback is that they cannot always reach the people who need it quickly enough and consequently weaken their chances as a life-saving medicine.
Given these arguments, the senators of the Commission agreed that the legal changes will allow the naloxone is available as a safe and effective antidote to reverse overdose caused by opioid use and decrease mortality.
“The scope of this reform represents a significant advance in the formulation of public policies, when considering the effectiveness of decisions framed in the harm reduction approach, this being an indisputable paradigm shift in responses to drug use.”
In the approved document, it is also mentioned that the Mexican Observatory of Mental Health and Drug Consumption registered in 2018, 144 thousand 931 users who requested treatment for alcohol, tobacco and drug use, of which 2.4 percent, that is, three 1,434 users were consumers of opiates and opioid drugs.
In addition, in the transitory articles of the opinion, it is established that in a period of three years, counted from the entry into force of the reform, the Ministry of Health (SSa) must present to the Congress of the Union a report on the strategy implemented for the care of people with overdose due to opioid use, as well as the results obtained.
López-Gatell opposes naloxone being available over the counter
On the other hand, it is necessary to remember that a few days ago the Undersecretary of Health, Hugo López-Gatell, took a position against making naloxone available free of charge in Mexico. He stated that there is strong pressure from interest groups to facilitate the commercialization of this drug.
He added that he Fentanyl was originally designed as a medication to treat severe pain. in cases of surgery or to control this symptom that is difficult to treat with other substances in serious diseases such as cancer with metastases or neurological disorders. It is 100 times more effective than morphine and 50 times more than heroin.
Its medical use is in oral, injectable or patch form. The one for illegal use comes in multiple presentations such as white powder, pills, capsules and candies, and with different names.
Also read:
Fentanyl in Mexico: López-Gatell launches against naloxone for this reason
Banning fentanyl for medical use in Mexico is the solution?
Mexican anesthesiologist could go to prison for buying fentanyl for her patients
#Senators #call #naloxone #free #charge #Mexico