Preventing Opioid Overdose Deaths with Take-home Naloxone
- ISBN-10
- 9291688371
- ISBN-13
- 9789291688371
- Pages
- 100
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2016
- Authors
- Rebecca McDonald, John Strang Strang
Description
Individuals who overdose on heroin or other opioids classically receive treatment when the ambulance or emergency medical care arrives, at which point the opioid antagonist naloxone is typically given. Naloxone is a semi-synthetic competitive opioid antagonist, which reverses opioid overdose and has been used in clinical and hospital overdose management since the 1970s. However, over the past 20 years, the provision of naloxone kits to opioid users and others likely to witness opioid overdoses has emerged as a novel harm-reduction intervention to make the antidote available in situations of need. Several countries in Europe and elsewhere have introduced take-home naloxone programmes that combine provision of the antidote with training in overdose prevention and emergency management. In November 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) released new guidelines, recommending that take-home naloxone should be made available to anyone likely to witness an overdose. This Insights publication provides both practitioners and policymakers with an analysis of the current evidence base on take-home naloxone. Specifically, it includes a comprehensive review of take-home naloxone initiatives in Europe. It also guides the reader through key issues of implementation, including training and programme evaluation. Finally, it engages in current debates around naloxone availability, including the development of non-injectable formulations and facilitating laws.
