Use of Intranasal Naloxone

To the Editor:
It is extremely interesting to me as a physician, certified by the DEA to treat drug addiction with an FDA approved product, and who was unjustly prosecuted by Cape May County Prosecutor Taylor, that both he and other law enforcement officials were unaware that intranasal Naloxone remains unapproved by the FDA.
Law enforcement officials should have known that intranasal Naloxone is not approved because of the variability and unequal bioavailability of absorption through the mucus membranes of unconscious and semi-conscious addicts. The pathophysiology of the nasal mucus membranes of these unfortunate human beings does exert a significant limitation to absorption and bioavailability of this product under certain conditions.
Of course, law enforcement remains “above the law” when using a non-approved FDA product because empirically it is termed safe and potentially effective for the acute overdose condition and represents a shotgun approach in an effort to save a life.
Obviously intravascular (IV) arid intramuscular (IM) Naloxone when used in the emergency room is both efficient and life saving.
Clearly there has been some success with the intranasal Naloxone, however it remains disconcerting to me that non-FDA approved drag can be limitlessly available to law enforcement personnel, but not available to parents of drug addicted teens and young adults who could have similar successes.
But maybe law enforcement, both here and in Washington, D.C., should exert its overwhelming influence over the FDA and DEA to immediately make intranasal Naloxone available to parents of drug-addicted teens as a life saving effect.