MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Fewer Alabamians are receiving opioid prescriptions, and the strength of those prescriptions is falling, according to a new report from the American Medical Association. State officials say the trend reflects more than a decade of changes in prescribing practices and overdose prevention efforts.
Opioid prescriptions in Alabama dropped 46 percent from 2012 to 2024, while the average dosage strength fell nearly 59 percent. Prescriptions for naloxone, the life-saving overdose reversal drug, increased more than 220 percent from 2018 to 2024, though they declined slightly from 2023 to 2024 as over-the-counter access expanded.
“Physicians have fundamentally changed how opioids are prescribed in Alabama,” said Dr. Mark LeQuire, president of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama. “Doctors are using lower doses, prescribing opioids more selectively and emphasizing alternative treatments whenever possible – all while continuing to care for patients who legitimately need pain management. At the same time, the overall increase in naloxone prescriptions reflects a clear commitment to preventing overdose deaths and saving lives.”…