Naloxone is a short-acting opioid antagonist medicine that reverses the effects of opioid overdose.
NSW Health delivers a Take Home Naloxone Program to reduce the mortality and morbidity for people across NSW who use opioid drugs or medicines. Through this program, a range of health workers can play a role in ensuring naloxone is available for supply to people in the NSW community who are likely to need it.
Trained, credentialed workers at NSW public health needle and syringe programs and alcohol and other drugs services and at participating non-government organisations and private services can supply take home naloxone at no cost to consumers, carers or family members, and provide a brief intervention about how to use the medicine.
Two formulations of naloxone are provided in the NSW Program – a pre-filled syringe for injection and an intranasal spray.
Community members can visit Your Room for more information about naloxone and visit NUAA for ways to stay safe when using opioid drugs.
Find naloxone near you
The take home naloxone program includes instructions for clients to perform rescue breathing and chest compressions. Before doing so, refer to the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce guidance on basic life support for adults in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Australian Government take home naloxone program subsidises the cost of naloxone medicines supplied in participating community pharmacies across Australia. This program commenced in July 2022 following a successful pilot in NSW, South Australia and Western Australia.
The program subsidises the full cost of naloxone, including dispensing fee, to participating community pharmacies that supply the medicine to people at risk of witnessing or experiencing an opioid overdose. This includes people on prescribed opioid medicines. A PBS prescription is not required.
Participating public health and non-government health and welfare services in NSW can also supply PBS-subsidised naloxone where NSW Health policy and training requirements are complied with.
NSW Users and AIDS Association (NUAA) commenced piloting a postal supply model in late 2021, delivering an online brief intervention and then supplying naloxone to the client by post. This pilot, which is supported by NSW Health, aims to increase access to take home naloxone for vulnerable populations.
Naloxone continues to be available on the PBS with a prescription or as a Schedule 3 medicine.
Free take home naloxone program promotional display resources are available for participating services to order using the take home naloxone program resource order form.
Community pharmacists should contact the take home naloxone program administrator for information on how to register, report evaluation data and be reimbursed.
Phone: 1800 951 285 (9am to 8pm AEST Monday to Friday)Email: support@ppaonline.com.auOnline:Pharmacy Programs Administrator
The RACGP webinar A guide to naloxone for general practitioners supports GPs to discuss opioid overdose risks with patients who may use opioids; ensure relevant patients can access naloxone; and instruct patients on when and how naloxone should be administered.
