Naltrexone vs Naloxone. What is the difference between these two opioid-blocking medications?
Opioid use disorder has been an ongoing public health epidemic in the United States over the past decades. In fact, the majority of drug overdoses now involve some sort of opioid. There are many factors that can put people at risk for opioid overdose including, low drug tolerance, intravenous route of administration, recreational substance use, depression and the development of other mental health conditions. Naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, and naltrexone, known by the brand name Vivitrol, are two common medication treatments used against opioid use disorder. They are opioid blockers that can help reverse the effects of opioids.