Naloxone is a prescription medication used to reverse the effects of opioids. Unlike other medications used in treating chronic opioid dependence, it lacks the potential for abuse. Currently, the mainstays of naloxone use are to treat acute opioid overdose and to provide maintenance therapy in individuals who are opioid dependent. Naloxone is a synthetic opioid receptor antagonist that works by binding to opioid receptors in the central nervous system. Primarily, naloxone targets the μ-receptor in the central nervous system, although it also blocks other opioid receptors, such as kappa and delta, to a lesser degree. By binding and therefore blocking these opioid receptors, naloxone can reverse the effects of opioids, including but not limited to heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine.

Of note, naloxone is not to ...