Proposals to expand access to take-home naloxone supplies

Naloxone is a life-saving drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and can help to prevent overdose deaths. Anyone can administer naloxone in an emergency, but currently only drug treatment services can legally supply it to an individual for future use.

We are seeking views in this consultation to assess the viability of proposals to widen access to naloxone by expanding the list of services and individuals that can give it out without a prescription or other written instruction.

This consultation is the government’s official response to the 2021 consultation Expanding access to naloxone. That initial consultation sought to expand the list of named services and individuals that can distribute naloxone without a prescription or other written instruction. We published a summary of the findings for this consultation in March 2022.

Following significant engagement across the devolved administrations, we are now seeking views on legislative proposals that go further than those consulted on in 2021 and include:

• an amended list of named professionals and services that can supply take-home naloxone
• a new registration service that would enable professionals and organisations not named in the legislation to supply naloxone (including homelessness and supported accommodation services), subject to appropriate training and safeguards
• specific data reporting requirements to enable more consistent reporting across the UK

The consultation document provides further guidance. We welcome responses from individuals or organisations who have experience or expertise in substance use disorders.

Since the proposed changes to legislation would apply throughout the UK, we have made this consultation available in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.