We in O’Fallon have thankfully been spared the worst of the opioid crisis, but overdose remains a massive threat to the safety of our city and our state. At this point, you’ve probably heard plenty about fentanyl from the news and from social media. Illicit fentanyl, and other synthetic opioids, contribute massively to the overdose crisis. In fact, over 90% of all opioid overdose deaths in 2023 were attributed to synthetic opioids. What you may not have heard is that the FDA in 2023 approved new naloxone and nalmefene treatments that are highly effective in reversing synthetic opioid overdoses.
This should be excellent news for Missourians, right? In 2023, the same year that the FDA approved these new treatments, the Missouri state legislature unanimously voted to update state law, allowing the Department of Health and Senior Services to issue a standing order for ALL FDA-approved overdose treatments, yet the standing order has not been updated.
Until the update to the standing order happens, Missouri first responders and healthcare services will not be able to access the wide range of approved overdose reversal agents. If we are going to combat the rate of overdose fatalities, we are going to need access to all the available tools. Please, reach out to your local legislators, the governor, and the director of the Department of Health and Senior Services and ask them to update the standing order ASAP so we can save Missouri lives.
City councilwoman from O’Fallon
