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When authorized medical personnel prescribe two or more medications together for the same condition or disease to the same patient, it is known as co-prescribing. When clinicians prescribe the opioid overdose drug naloxone to patients in conjunction with the patient's opioid prescriptions, or to patients at risk for opioid overdose, it is called a naloxone co-prescription. Due, in part, to the opioid epidemic in the United States, there are currently both a state-level and nation-wide movement in the medical and public policy fields to encourage, and sometimes require, naloxone co-prescribing. The U.S. government has issued guidelines recommending co-prescribing naloxone along with opioids. Some co-prescribing, e.g., the practice of co-prescribing benzodiazepines and certain opioid medications to patients, has been cause for concern due to the high risk of opioid overdose.
Co-prescribing naloxone with opioids is supported by the World Health Organization, U.S. CDC, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. In 2020, The Pew Charitable Trusts released research findings which show that increased access to naloxone saves lives, and recommends co-prescribing as a way to lower the number of overdose fatalities.