In most cases, controlled medication is prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a local pharmacy in a range of ways to suit their needs and lifestyle.
This can be a standard, over-the-counter measure, it can involve a home delivery service and some medications can even be prescribed directly by an independent pharmacist under the Pharmacy First Plus programme.
One of the most unique cases of a medication being supplied without a prescription, however, is naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist that is available in every community pharmacy in Scotland and can be provided by paramedics and police officers.
This is because the only time it is used is when it needs to save someone’s life.
The Risk Of Overdose
Naloxone is technically a prescription-only medication, but it would not be typically administered by the person it is prescribed for but by people close to them, pharmacists, doctors, or first responders.
It is a medication that helps to block and reverse the effects of opioid overdose, typically associated with the recreational use of drugs such as heroin, which can be easy to overdose from due to the variability of safe doses between different people.
An overdose can also be affected by how much tolerance has been built up as well as if it is taken with other sedatives such as alcohol, as well as the potential harm caused by cutting the substance with other, dangerous synthetic opioids.
Because of all of these issues, naloxone is a major part of health policy to stop drug-related deaths, as a form of harm reduction.
Reversing The Overdose
There are two main types of naloxone kit, which take the form of a nasal spray or a needle kit injected into a large muscle in the body.
It works by blocking the effects of other opioids and works most effectively within five minutes of an overdose emergency, usually determined by loss of consciousness, extreme sleepiness, slowed breathing and small pupils.
Naloxone reverses the slowed breathing within minutes and will help someone to wake up, although they will typically feel weak, dizzy, uncomfortable and feel pain in the stomach.
It should be noted that the opioid reversal effect is only temporary. Naloxone works for between 20 and 40 minutes before the overdose effect returns and another dose is necessary.
This means that it should not be seen as a cure for an opioid overdose but instead buy time to call 999 and ensure that the person goes to the hospital to be monitored and potentially treated multiple times with naloxone until it is completely out of the person’s system.
Who Can Supply Or Use Naloxone?
Naloxone is typically kept in pharmacies, in ambulances, in drug and alcohol treatment services or on the person of trained police and prison staff, as well as registered nurses. All of these professionals can supply naloxone without a prescription.
It can also be supplied as a take-home kit to people who are at risk of overdosing or would be in close proximity to people at risk of overdosing, as they would act as first responders to any overdose.
It can also be supplied to outreach workers, managers of hostels, carers, friends, family members and anyone working with or around people at risk of overdosing.