Devon County Council announced a new pharmacy pilot service earlier this month (October 3) to raise awareness about opioid usage and to train pharmacy staff to “recognise the symptoms of opioid overdose”.
The launch comes after “185 drug-related deaths” were reported in Devon between 2020 and 2022 and aims to “help prevent deaths caused by overdose of illegal opiates such as heroin”, it said.
Read more: Pharmacies set to supply take-home naloxone without a prescription
The pilot has been introduced in five locations across Devon so far – independent Exeter Community Pharmacy, two Asda pharmacies, a Well Pharmacy and a Day Lewis branch, it added.
Pharmacy staff will be trained to “respond appropriately” to an opioid overdose and to “administer” naloxone – a medicine used to help reverse the effects of an opiate overdose, the council said.
They will “provide support, advice and information, including signposting or referral to other health and social services”, it added.
Read more: Will expanding access to naloxone OTC be the right move?
Anyone over the age of 18 who is using or has previously used an illegal opioid or opioid substitute is eligible to take part in the pilot, according to the council.
Its progress will be monitored by Public Health Devon, which will evaluate the scheme’s effectiveness and decide “whether to extend it to other areas of the county”, it added.
“Help us save lives”
Area manager for the Together Drug & Alcohol treatment service Francesca Bendall stressed that “every death from overdose is preventable”.
“We’re incredibly grateful to our partners in pharmacies for taking the opportunity to train their staff to use and increase the distribution of naloxone,” she added.
Director of Public Health Devon Steve Brown said the initiative aims to “encourage those who live with – or are closely associated with – people who use opioids to access this new service to help us save lives”.
Read more: Naloxone service launches at all Scottish community pharmacies
In May, the UK government announced that it will give pharmacists and pharmacy technicians the power to supply naloxone for future use without a prescription.
Meanwhile, a nationwide naloxone service was rolled out in all Scottish community pharmacies last year, backed by £300,000 of government funding for emergency kits.
