The Department of Health and Social Care has launched a consultation on proposals to make naloxone ‘more widely available in the community’.
The eight-week consultation is in response to the ever-increasing rate of drug-related deaths and the second part of Dame Carol Black’s Independent review of drugs, the government states.
Under the new proposals the list of people who would be eligible to carry and administer naloxone includes nurses, midwives, paramedics, police and prison officers, pharmacists, probation officers, homelessness outreach and day staff, and temporary and supported accommodation staff. The amended legislation would apply throughout the UK, and anyone replying to the consultation will also be able to suggest other services that should be added to the list.
‘To prevent people dying from drug abuse we need to make sure the right treatment and medicines are available, which is why we’re launching this consultation on naloxone today,’ said health secretary Sajid Javid. ‘This government is committed to tackling drug misuse and saving lives, including through our new Joint Combating Drugs Unit and an ambitious new strategy.’
Open consultation: Expanding access to naloxone here until 28 September