The Opioid Antagonist Bulk Purchase Fund, known as the Naloxone Bulk Fund, has provided free naloxone to eligible entities across the state of Colorado since 2019. Eligible entities must have a standing order before applying to the Bulk Fund.
Standing orders are written protocols that authorize designated persons to complete certain medical tasks without having first to obtain a physician order. In special scenarios, standing orders are used in public health as a means to get prescription medications out to those who need them without having them meet with a doctor or medical provider to get a prescription. A standing order allows an agency to dispense naloxone to anyone who is at risk of experiencing or witnessing an overdose.
The chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) may issue standing orders for eligible entities for Naloxone to be dispensed to help expand statewide Naloxone access to those who need it most.
If your agency has a medical provider with prescriptive authority on staff, you may use the example provided for writing your own standing order:
If your agency does not have a medical provider with prescriptive authority:
- Please email cdphe_naloxone@state.co.us to request a standing order from CDPHE or if you have any questions.
With a standing order, you may distribute naloxone to those who might benefit from it most, in particular people who are at risk of experiencing or witnessing an overdose.
Learn more about naloxone by visiting the Bring Naloxone Home website.
Learn how to safely administer Naloxone
- Overdose Prevention Resources- National Harm Reduction Coalition (website)
- Responding to an Opioid Overdose- Training Guide (National Harm Reduction Coalition website)
- SAMHSA Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit (SAMHSA PDF)
- Patient education videos by Prescribe to Prevent (Prescribe to Prevent website)
- How to Use Narcan® (naloxone HCI) Nasal Spray 4mg. (Vimeo)
- Narcan® educational videos (Narcan® website)
- Find Harm Reduction Resources Near You (National Harm Reduction Coalition website)
- Stop the Clock Colorado - Pharmacy Finder (Stop the Clock Colorado website)