Fitzpatrick urges airlines to proactively carry drug overdose medications

To help fight the nation’s ongoing opioid epidemic, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) urged airlines to keep drug overdose medication like naloxone onboard aircraft in their medical emergency kits.

“Naloxone is a critical, life-saving drug. Flight crews should be equipped to handle any medical emergency,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “Carrying naloxone is an easy way for airlines to ensure the safety of their passengers.”

Currently, several companies do stock naloxone on their planes, including American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Alaska Airlines, according to information provided by Rep. Fitzpatrick’s office.

“I’m glad to see that several airlines have begun carrying naloxone on commercial flights, and I hope to see others soon follow,” said the congressman.

Toward that end, Rep. Fitzpatrick and seven other representatives, including U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), sent Nov. 26 joint letters to the chief executive officers of Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Allegiant Air to encourage them to also stock naloxone on their airplanes.

“Congress, industry and academia all have a role to play in responding to this public health crisis, and today we call on you to make a small change that can save lives nationwide,” wrote Rep. Fitzpatrick and his colleagues. “An individual’s chance of surviving an opioid overdose should not depend on which air carrier he or she chooses.”

The letters follow August correspondence Rep. Fitzpatrick and several other lawmakers also sent to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that requested regulations requiring naloxone be included in the onboard emergency medical kits of all certified passenger aircraft.

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson responded and acknowledged “the need to update emergency medical kits to include opioid antagonists,” according to Rep. Fitzpatrick’s office, which said Dickson also said that as the FAA works to find regulatory options, it will “encourage the expeditious and voluntary inclusion of opioid antagonists in the kits.”