Have Your Say: Expanding the use of naloxone

Written by AlisonFreemantle on Friday 13th August 2021

Government consultation open until 28th September

The Department for Health and Social Care are seeking views on changing the access to naloxone by expanding the list of services and individuals that can give it out without a prescription or other written instruction.

This includes pharmacists.

Pharmacists and other professionals such as paramedics, nurses and police officers would be eligible to “hold and give” naloxone in a drive to tackle drug-related deaths

Naloxone, a prescription-only medicine, can currently be administered by anyone during an emergency. However, only commissioned drug treatment services are currently able to “obtain and supply” naloxone without a prescription or another written authorisation, outside of an emergency.

The consultation should take approximately 45-60 mins minutes to complete, it can be saved at any point and returned to for completion.

To complete the consultation: