Use & Distribute Expired Naloxone
Naloxone, an opioid-overdose reversal medication, is safe and effective well beyond the printed expiration date on naloxone products. To promote and encourage the use of naloxone beyond the product expiration date, Colorado passed legislation to provide civil and criminal immunity to individuals who furnish or administer expired naloxone during an opioid overdose (C.R.S. 18-1-712(a)). Additionally, community organizations may distribute expired naloxone under the same set of stipulations as non-expired naloxone. No documentation is required by the state for this process.
The Expired Naloxone Google Drive, compiled by the Consortium, has relevant resources regarding the use and distribution of expired naloxone, including the below:
- Signed House Bill 20-1065, which contains C.R.S. 18-1-712(a)
- Template form law enforcement agencies can use to donate expired product to a community organizations with standing orders
- Summary of the legality of distributing expired naloxone in Colorado from the Network for Public Health Law
- Documented examples of law enforcement agencies donating expired naloxone to local syringe access programs. You can find an updated list of syringe access programs on CDPHE’s website.
For more information, please contact the Consortium at ers@cuanschutz.edu.