School of SSESW academic Dr Anne Campbell (Social Work) and Dr Emily Finch (Kings College London) have co-authored a report for The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) reviewing the availability and use of naloxone in the UK, a drug used to reverse opioid overdose. Anne and Emily are co-chairs of the Recovery Committee within the UK government ACMD.

The report outlines evidence that administration of naloxone leads to a reduction in opioid overdose deaths. However, it also concluded that more work is needed to increase the availability and use of the drug. The report has made the following recommendations to government:

• Improve the quality of data on take-home naloxone and ensure local authority commissioners monitor how it is provided by service providers.
• Further research should be undertaken to see how those at risk of overdose can more easily access take-home naloxone.
• Good examples of partnership working cited in the report should be used to model naloxone programmes across the UK.
• Prison services should ensure people being released from prison who are at high-risk of overdosing have access to take-home naloxone.
• Additional training for police in the holding and administration of naloxone should be provided and police services should register to gain required exemptions to supply take-home naloxone.
• Hospitals, mental health trusts and ambulance services should deliver take-home naloxone and training to those at risk of overdose. Guidance should be updated to include appropriate recommendations on naloxone provision.
• There should be arrangements across the UK which allow community pharmacies to deliver take-home naloxone and intervention on managing opioid overdoses.

More information and the report are available at Publication of the ACMD report into the availability and use of naloxone - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)