20 July 2021
A drug that can reverse the effects of opioid overdoses has been made available for Islanders by the Alcohol and Drugs Service.
Naloxone was previously only given as a prescription drug, but now it has been made available for Islanders to carry and use in the case of opiate overdoses.
Islanders are able to ask for Naloxone from the Needle Exchange and Harm Reduction Team, based at the Alcohol and Drugs Service. They will receive brief training on how to use Naloxone before being issued with the injection.
The Team will also be rolling out Naloxone to the Homeless Shelter and other support organisations in Jersey
Members of the Team will also carry Naloxone when attending home visits in the event that an individual has been found to have overdosed.
Harm Reduction Worker, Leah Le Cornu, said: "This new and significant initiative is a major step forward for Jersey. Naloxone is a very effective way of reducing deaths by overdose. As a service, we have been pushing this to go through for a number of years.
"Now not only hospitals and paramedics will have Naloxone but it can be in the household of every vulnerable person affected by opiate use. This will save people's lives!"
Alcohol and Drugs Service Lead, Simba Kashiri, said: "We are pleased to be in a position to offer Naloxone under a patient Group Directive. This means that we can make every opportunistic contact count with service users under our Opiate Pathways Treatment and those who are not in treatment yet but use our Needle Exchange and Harm reduction pathway.
"I would like to give special thanks to our colleagues in the hospital pharmacy and staff in the Alcohol and Drug service for getting us to this point. Carrying Naloxone could save someone's life."
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