Glasgow Addiction Services is currently involved in a pilot with other organisations (Strathclyde Police, Glasgow Drug Crisis Centre, Scottish Prison Service, Scottish Drugs Forum, Scottish National Forum of Alcohol and Drug Misuse) developing a take home Naloxone to service users and their families using a Patient Group Direction for supply. The Naloxone pilot consists of 3 main parts which includes:
- overdose awareness
- practical basic life support training (affiliated by Heart Start UK)
- Naloxone Supply
Naloxone is a short acting opioid antagonist that reverses the effects of morphine and other morphine-like drugs, for example heroin or methadone. Its main clinical use is to treat respiratory depression caused by opioid analgesic use during operations.
The Naloxone is supplied in a hard yellow plastic pack that contains one 2ml pre-filled syringe of naloxone hydrochloride 1mg/ml, two needles and an information leaflet. It is short acting and may only temporarily reverse the effects of circulating opioids.
Family members and friends are trained to stay with the patient to ensure they do not try to re-inject any further illicit drugs after they wake as Naloxone only displaces the heroin from the receptor site, it does not remove it from the body completely.
Glasgow Addiction Services have designed patient leaflets and posters on the supply of take home naloxone from the Drug Crisis Centre. The promotion material has been sent to local addiction centres, GP surgeries and pharmacies.
Please select a link below to view further information on Naloxone:
Please contact any of following people if you wish to purchase the manual:
Carole Hunter
Lead Pharmacist
Glasgow Addiction Services
Phone 0141 276 6612
Duncan Hill
Pharmacist
Glasgow Addiction Services
Phone 0141 276 6655
Biba Brand
Scottish Drugs Forum
Phone 0141 221 1175