Pharmacy Daily | Calls to expand THN program

HARM Reduction Australia (HRA) is calling for an expansion of the take-home naloxone (THN)program, including rollout to every pharmacy in Australia and training in its use extended to pharmacists and all first responders.

In a policy briefing just released, the organisation has outlined five key recommendations around harm reduction:

* Expand the current $19.6m investment in THN to ensure all pharmacies can provide it for free.

* Broaden the range of settings with THN access.

* Greater government investment in evidence-based harm reduction approaches.

* Naloxone use training for law enforcement officers and other first responders.

* Administration of naloxone incorporated into first aid courses.

HRA has also called for stigma-reducing education campaigns and public messaging that highlight the benefits of naloxone and how it aligns with Australia's national drug strategy.

"This is a treatment that saves lives," pharmacist and HRA board member Dr Chris Alderman told Pharmacy Daily.

"It's cheap, it's easy to use and just requires some pretty simple training," he added.

"We're advocating that it should be as available as it possibly can be, available to all Australians, regardless of what their background is, and regardless of where they live.

"There shouldn't be a pharmacy in Australia that doesn't have naloxone available to issue on a take-home basis."

He also suggested that pharmacists and other pharmacy staff should be trained on how to use it, adding opioid overdoses occur with both prescribed opioids and non-prescribed opioids.

Dr Alderman pointed out that pharmacies should not be expected to lose money in the process of supplying it, and the funding model needs to bear that in mind.

"Pharmacies are businesses, and it's not up to a business to have a moral or financial responsibility to underpin good public health policy," he pointed out.

See the HRA website HERE. KB