The NSW Health Take Home Naloxone Program improves free access to naloxone to reduce opioid-related harm and prevent overdose deaths.
Naloxone was previously only available on prescription or from a pharmacist. Through this program, workers from a range of different types of participating services can now legally supply naloxone to people at risk of experiencing or witnessing an opioid overdose.
Participating services in the NSW Take Home Naloxone program include a range of public services, non-government organisations and private health and welfare services.
Trained and credentialed workers at participating services can supply free take home naloxone to people at risk of opioid overdose, their family, carers, and friends, and anyone else who may witness an overdose, and provide a brief intervention about how to use the medicine.
Naloxone is a Schedule 3 short-acting opioid antagonist medicine that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone works quickly, is safe to use, and has no effect if opioids are not present.
In NSW, naloxone is available in two easy-to-use forms:
Naloxone in the form of the Nyxoid® nasal spray and Prenoxad® pre-filled syringe are available for free without a prescription from participating community pharmacies, Needle and Syringe Programs (NSP) and participating non-government organisations (NGOs) and private services in NSW.
Find naloxone near you
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Opioid overdose is a major cause of harm and death in Australia. In 2023, there were 228[1] opiod-induces or opioid-related death in NSW.
The National Drug Strategy 2017-2026[2] and the World Health Organisation[3] have identified increasing access to naloxone as an evidence-based strategy for preventing and responding to opioid overdoses.
People who use the following substances may be at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose:
People who use illicit drugs, even when they are not using opioids, may still be at risk of opioid overdose. Strong synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, acetylfentanyl, and nitazenes have recently been found in methamphetamine, cocaine, ketamine, counterfeit benzodiazepines and heroin. Because of this contamination risk, people who use any illicit drugs are eligible to receive take home naloxone.
Naloxone is also recommended for people who use drugs and those around them, including peers, family, friends, carers and community members who may witness an overdose.
The NSW Health 2026 Public Drug Warnings and Clinical Safety Alerts include information about high-risk drugs detected from monitoring programs in NSW and how to respond.
Illicit drugs containing strong opioids may circulate in NSW, even if no specific alert has been issued.
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Opioid overdoses can happen in workplace settings.
A NSW Health legal authority allows first aid trained workers to administer naloxone Nyxoid® or Prenoxad® in the workplace if they witness a suspected opioid overdose.
You can administer naloxone at work if you:
Watch this NSW Health approved training video about the signs of overdose and how to administer naloxone.
Note: You will not be issued a training certificate.
First aid trained workers can obtain naloxone from a participating community pharmacy.
In services participating in the NSW Take Home Naloxone Program, credentialed workers can simply access the Take Home Naloxone Program medication stock and administer naloxone to a person having an opioid overdose. Anyone can legally administer naloxone in the community, without first aid training.
Members of the public can legally administer naloxone in the community without first aid certification.
Community pharmacies across Australia can supply PBS subsidised naloxone for free and without a prescription. The full cost of the medicine, including the dispensing fee, is covered through the Australian Government’s Take Home Naloxone Program.
Naloxone can be supplied to any community member who might need it, including people who:
This licence to supply allows registered pharmacists in a registered pharmacy to supply naloxone to first aid trained workers to use in the course of their work in NSW.
A registered pharmacist may supply Nyxoid® or Prenoxad® to first aiders.
NSW Government agencies can obtain naloxone for their first aid trained workforce from NSW Health for free. Contact moh-naloxone@health.nsw.gov.au for more information
Naloxone continues to be available on the PBS with a prescription or as a Schedule 3 medicine.
Community pharmacists should contact the Pharmacy 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 Program Administrator
