Table 2 Criteria for assessing state-level naloxone access laws
Domain | Criterion | Definition |
|---|---|---|
Effectiveness | Naloxone pharmacy distribution | Amount of naloxone dispensed through retail pharmacies (e.g., chain pharmacy stores, independent community pharmacies) |
Opioid use disorder prevalence | Percentage of the general population with a pattern of opioid use leading to clinically and functionally significant impairment, health problems, or failure to meet major responsibilities | |
Nonfatal opioid overdose | Per capita rates of nonfatal overdose related to opioids, including opioid analgesics (e.g., oxycodone), illegal opioids (e.g., heroin), and synthetic opioids (e.g., fentanyl) | |
Opioid overdose mortality | Per capita rates of fatal opioid overdose | |
Implementability | Acceptability | The extent to which the policy is acceptable to the general public in the state or community where the policy has been enacted |
Feasibility | The extent to which it is feasible for a state or community that has enacted the policy to implement it as intended | |
Affordability | The extent to which the resources (costs) required to implement the policy are affordable from a societal perspective | |
Equity | The extent to which the policy is equitable in its impact on health outcomes across populations of people who use opioids |