May 8, 2026 at 11:09 am by DPH
Hi everyone! Each Friday I send out relevant harm reduction events/information. I will attempt to include it here on the hub as often as I can!
Included this week is an announcement of the extended shelf life for Padagis® naloxone nasal spray, a webinar on the clinical implications of medetomidine in the drug supply, and a workshop for direct service providers to improve interactions with family members of clients.
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Press Release: Padagis Announces Shelf-Life Extension for Its Naloxone Nasal Spray
ALLEGAN, Mich., May 5, 2026
Padagis® today announced that it is extending the shelf life of its Naloxone HCl Nasal Spray from 36 months to 48 months for its newly manufactured medicine, reinforcing the company’s commitment to improving access to lifesaving, cost-effective medications.
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The four-year expiration will apply to medicine planned for release in late Q3 and early Q4 of 2026.* Padagis encourages all customers and consumers to continue following the expiration date printed on individual product packaging.
Read the full press release here
**Note: DPH purchases naloxone in bulk to redistribute to CNP and OEND programs. It may take extra time for these programs to receive naloxone with the extended shelf life ordered through DPH.
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Webinar: Medetomidine Impacts on Clinical Management and Systems of Care
Hosted by the Opioid Response Network
Time: 5 pm ET
Date: May 13, 2026
Presenter: Michael Lynch, MD
Medetomidine, a highly potent veterinary alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, has recently emerged as a significant adulterant within the U.S. illicit opioid supply. This presentation will review the introduction of medetomidine in the U.S. drug supply, the pharmacology and clinical effects of medetomidine, and the distinguishing features of medetomidine toxicity and withdrawal. We will outline emerging treatment strategies emphasizing early, aggressive alpha-2 agonist therapy; nuanced antiemetic approaches; when and how to escalate to IV dexmedetomidine; and approaches to concurrent opioid withdrawal management. Participants will gain insight into diagnostic challenges, observation and disposition considerations, and strategies for system-level preparedness.
Read more and register here
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Virtual Workshop: Working With Families
Hosted by Support After Death by Overdose (SADOD)
Date & Time: Thursday May 14th 10am – 12pm EST.
As direct service providers we sometimes interact with family members of our participants/patients/clients for a number of reasons. When this happens we may be unsure of what we can offer them or how to best interact with them. We will discuss ways we might interact, strategies when talking with friends and family, and things we might want to take into consideration. After this training participants will have gained strategies to use during these interactions and be able to better understand the family members and loved ones perspective.
Read more and register here (flyer attached)
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That’s all for this week. I hope you find time for rest this weekend.
~Ben
If you would like to be added to this listserv and you live or work in Massachusetts – please send me an email at ben.plant@mass.gov
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