Biden-Harris Administration Calls on Housing Community to Help Expand Access to Medication That Reverses Opioid Overdose
Today, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a joint letter to public health departments and health care systems to partner with housing providers, community development organizations, and other housing agencies to help expand access to naloxone and other life-saving overdose reversal medications in the communities they serve.
Overdose reversal medications that can reverse an opioid-related overdose, including fentanyl-related overdose, can be found in many schools, libraries, and other community institutions; and should be readily available in and around public housing settings, multifamily housing programs, housing counseling offices, and programs for people experiencing homelessness.
“We all have a role to play in ending the overdose epidemic,” said Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA. “Naloxone and other opioid overdose reversal medications save lives. Ensuring these medications are broadly distributed in these housing-related settings is an important step to help communities prevent fatal overdoses. These medications should be as readily available as other health-and-safety equipment like carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and defibrillators.”
“Many overdoses happen in the home, and providing access to an effective and easy-to-use medication that can reverse an overdose is just common sense,” said Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon. “We urge our assisted housing property owners and managers to make this life-saving medication readily available to their residents and guests.”
Earlier this year, the FDA approved certain naloxone nasal sprays for non-prescription, over-the-counter use.