Open consultation

Expanding access to naloxone: supply and emergency use - consultation document

Updated 29 December 2025

Introduction

Background

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the Department of Health (Northern Ireland) (DoH (NI)), the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government are consulting on the viability of proposals to further expand access to naloxone. Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, helping to prevent overdose deaths and save lives.

Anyone can administer naloxone in an emergency but currently, it can only legally be supplied to an individual for future use by a list of professionals and services named in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (HMRs).

Legislative changes made by the UK government in 2024 expanded the list of professionals and services authorised to supply naloxone for future use (also known as take-home naloxone), but this is only one scenario in which it can be supplied for future use.

Proposals

We are seeking views on making further legislative changes with the following 3 proposals:

• expanding the route 1 list (see below) to extend the power to supply naloxone for future use to hostels, day centres and outreach services for people experiencing rough sleeping or homelessness

• clearly enabling organisations whose employees may be at risk of opioid contamination (accidental exposure) as part of their employment to be able to procure a stock of naloxone for emergency purposes

• creating a new route of supply by enabling publicly accessible naloxone for emergency use using a locked box model

This consultation document provides information about the proposed changes to current legislation and an opportunity to comment. The main aim of this consultation is to amend the HMRs to expand access to naloxone.

Formally, this consultation is undertaken by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in relation to England, Wales and Scotland, in conjunction with the DoH (NI) in relation to Northern Ireland (pursuant to section 45(1) of the Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021 (MMDA)).

We are seeking to amend the HMRs so that:

• more services can supply naloxone to individuals without a prescription
• naloxone is more readily available for public emergency use

We will do so using the enabling powers in part 2 of the MMDA.

The proposals will require amendments to the HMRs which apply UK-wide.

This consultation will give interested parties and stakeholders the opportunity to inform our final decisions on the viability of the 3 proposals. The consultation sets out the:

• current situation and legal position
• outcomes of previous consultations
• proposals

Understanding the current situation

Expanding access to naloxone has never been more important. Drug misuse deaths have doubled since 2012, and opioid-related deaths make up the largest proportion of these deaths across the UK. The illegal drugs market is shifting and synthetic opioids are becoming more common. Deaths involving nitazenes, a synthetic opioid, have increased substantially from 52 reported deaths in 2023 to 195 deaths in 2024.

Naloxone is a prescription only medicine. This makes it less accessible for people who are vulnerable to overdosing.

Last year we amended the HMRs to expand access by establishing 2 routes of supply:

• route 1 expanded the list of individuals and organisations able to give out a supply of naloxone for future use without needing a prescription

• route 2 created the legal framework for each nation in the UK to set up a registration service for organisations not listed to apply to supply naloxone

These legislative changes were the first step in expanding access to naloxone, which has resulted in naloxone being more readily available to supply in the community.

Since these changes came into force, we have identified additional challenges to ensuring naloxone is accessible for everyone at risk. So, we are proposing further legislative changes to address these challenges.

These challenges include:

• concerns about safety and contamination (accidental exposure) in some workplaces, particularly enforcement authorities, due to the rise in prevalence of synthetic opioids across the UK
• operational difficulties in establishing the registration service (route 2) in England
• low levels of public awareness of naloxone and low levels of availability in the community for emergency use

To address these issues, we are proposing to amend the HMRs to:

• extend the power to supply naloxone for immediate or future use to hostels, day centres and outreach services for people experiencing rough sleeping or homelessness
• clearly enable a wider range of workplaces, particularly those with which might be at risk of opioid contamination (for example border control, law enforcement, forensic labs) to procure naloxone for emergency use by clarifying the meaning of a ‘drug treatment service’ in the regulations
• create a new route of supply, by enabling publicly accessible naloxone for emergency use using a locked box model

These proposed powers will enable specific organisations to supply naloxone without a prescription. The powers are enabling in nature only, so they are not mandatory. It will not be a requirement for named professionals and services to supply naloxone without a prescription or for organisations to supply naloxone through the locked box model.

We are also proposing a small technical change to the HMRs to amend regulation 253, which will remove a pharmacist’s requirement to record the sale or supply of a naloxone product when it is supplied under route 1. This will bring pharmacists requirements into line with the rest of the route 1 providers.

These proposals are being considered as a matter of public health and safety in the UK. There is strong agreement across the UK government and the devolved governments for making the further changes to the legislation.

The proposals in this consultation refer to the pre-filled syringe and nasal forms of naloxone and indirectly to any new formulations that become available.

Current legal position

Controls on who can administer, sell and supply naloxone

Naloxone is a prescription-only medicine regulated by the HMRs. This means that there are controls on who can legally administer, sell and supply naloxone.

Part 12 of the related schedules to the HMRs sets out who can sell, supply and administer as well as receive stocks of medicines. Under the HMRs, anyone is permitted to administer injectable naloxone to another individual to save their life in an emergency (see regulation 238, and the associated schedule 19). It is generally understood that this principle also applies to non-injectable versions of naloxone. Although because we are proposing to amend the legislation anyway, we intend to amend the legislation to put that beyond doubt.

However, there may not always be naloxone available at the site of an opioid overdose. Under part 12 of the HMRs, medicines which are classed as prescription-only or pharmacy medicine, can only be sold or supplied at registered pharmacy premises (regulation 220), subject to the exceptions set out in the legislation. Prescription-only medicines are subject to an additional requirement that they must only be sold or supplied in line with an appropriate practitioner’s prescription (regulation 214(1)). An appropriate practitioner includes a doctor, dentist or other independent prescriber. But again, this type of supply is subject to exceptions, see below.

Current exemptions to naloxone controls

The current naloxone provisions were inserted into the HMRs by the Human Medicines (Amendments Relating to Naloxone and Transfers of Functions) 2024 and are part of a series of exemptions to regulations 214 and 220 of the HMRs, set out in part 12 of and the associated schedule 17 to the HMRs.

This consolidated previous amendments to the HMRs made in 2015 and 2019. These allowed the injectable and nasal formulations of naloxone to be supplied without a prescription by people who work in drug and alcohol treatment services that were commissioned by the NHS, a local authority, Public Health England or the Northern Ireland Public Health Agency.

Patient group directions provide another exemption route from regulations 214 and 220. These are written instructions for the supply or administration of medicines to patients in a defined clinical situation. Medicines issued under a patient group direction can only be supplied by the types of people listed in part 4 of schedule 16 to the HMRs. Also, a patient group direction must be signed by a relevant authority such as a health agency, NHS trust or a chief police officer.

In June 2020, the Scottish Government introduced a temporary enforcement measure that enabled individuals other than drug treatment service workers to supply naloxone to people at risk of overdose, as well as to their families and friends, as long as they were registered to do so with the Scottish Government. The statement of prosecution policy put in place by the Lord Advocate was initially time-limited - to the period during which services were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic - but has been maintained while work is ongoing to implement the registration service (route 2). Its aim was to relax the rules about who can supply and distribute naloxone, to maximise its availability during this time.

Previous consultations

DHSC, DoH (NI), the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government ran 2 consultations under the previous government on proposed changes to naloxone supply in the HMRs.

2021 consultation: expanding access to naloxone

The 2021 consultation Expanding access to naloxone sought views on exempting certain additional professionals and services from regulations 214 and 220 of the HMRs on the supply of injectable and nasal naloxone. This could enable the professionals and services to lawfully distribute naloxone without a prescription or other written instruction to a person “for the purpose of saving a life in an emergency”.

The specific professionals and services consulted on were:

• outreach and day services for people who experience homelessness or rough sleeping
• temporary or supported accommodation services for people with substance use disorders or people who experience homelessness or rough sleeping
• police officers
• drug treatment workers commissioned by police and crime commissioners to work in police custody suites
• prison officers (orderly officers and duty governors)
• probation officers
• registered nurses
• registered paramedics
• registered midwives
• pharmacists

The consultation received 704 responses from across the UK, including from both professionals and organisations. We published a summary of the responses in March 2022. You can find a detailed summary of the feedback we received on the consultation page. There was strong support for the proposals in the consultation. The majority of responses supported the proposed expansion and believed it would help reduce overdoses and drug-related deaths.

This formed the basis for a second consultation in 2024.

2024 consultation: proposals to expand access to take-home naloxone supplies

The 2024 consultation Proposals to expand access to take-home naloxone supplies built on the 2021 consultation and proposed further legislative changes to widen naloxone access across the UK. The changes included:

• an amended list of named professionals and services that can supply take-home naloxone
• a new registration service that would enable professionals and organisations not named in the legislation to supply naloxone (including homelessness and supported accommodation services), subject to appropriate training and safeguards
• specific data reporting requirements to enable more consistent reporting across the UK

The consultation received 325 responses from across the UK, from professionals and organisations. We published a summary of the responses in May 2024, which you can find on the consultation page. There was strong support for enabling more organisations and individuals to supply naloxone for future use. Also, responses agreed with the:

• need for training requirements, including training on the storage and supply of naloxone, as well as how to support those people supplied with naloxone
• proposals to expand naloxone access by establishing a new registration service
• proposal to establish a legislative gateway to support data sharing

The feedback received from this consultation fed into the Human Medicines (Amendments Relating to Naloxone and Transfers of Functions) Regulations 2024.

Proposals

Expanding the route 1 list of services and professionals

We know that services supporting people who are rough sleeping or experiencing homelessness often house and care for people who are at significantly higher risk of overdosing from opioids. In 2021, deaths of homeless people in England and Wales shows that almost 2 in 5 deaths were related to drug poisoning.

In 2021, the previous government consulted on extending the power for naloxone supply to outreach and day services. A large proportion of respondents (96%) agreed that these services should be able to supply naloxone without a prescription. Unfortunately, these services could not be included in the named list of suppliers included in the Human Medicines (Amendments Relating to Naloxone and Transfers of Functions) Regulations 2024, which made the relevant amendments to the HMRs, due to a lack of agreed existing legal definitions for these types of services. However, we intended to capture these services under the route 2 registration service supply.

There have been difficulties in operationalising the route 2 registration service supply in England. This means these wider support services are still not currently able to distribute naloxone for future use. Given the need to expand naloxone provision as quickly as possible, DHSC has worked with other UK government departments and with Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland governments to identify and agree definitions for specific types of support services. We have now secured provisional agreement on definitions in law for the following types of services:

• hostels for people experiencing homelessness
• day centres for people experiencing homelessness
• outreach services for people experiencing homelessness

So, we are now proposing to add these 3 types of services into the route 1 list of professionals and services who can supply naloxone for future use without needing a prescription.

We are also proposing to make a technical change for pharmacists already on the route 1 list of suppliers. This change is to bring requirements for pharmacists supplying take-home naloxone into line with other route 1 suppliers. It will amend regulation 253 of the HMRs, so that pharmacists do not have to make a record of such supply. This will reduce the record-keeping burden on pharmacists when supplying take-home naloxone without a prescription under route 1.

The route 2 registration service supply will still remain a viable route of supply in all 4 nations, with registration services in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland expecting to be established in the coming months. DHSC will continue to work through the operational issues in setting up the registration service in England and, if possible, establish this service in the future.

Clearly enabling organisations whose employees are at risk of opioid contamination to procure and stock naloxone for emergency use

The rise of synthetic opioids in the UK, such as nitazenes, has created a significant health risk for people in workplaces that may come into contact with illicit drugs, particularly people working in:

• border control
• law enforcement
• forensic labs

Synthetic opioids can be extremely dangerous, even in small amounts. There is potential for contamination or accidental exposure to lead to potential serious health risks. Naloxone is an essential safety measure in these high-risk workplaces and all staff who may encounter illicit opioids should be trained to recognise the signs of overdose and in administering naloxone.

The current legislation makes procuring naloxone for emergency use difficult because of uncertainty about what counts as a drug treatment service.

So, we are proposing to end this uncertainty and amend the legislation to clarify the definition of ‘drug treatment services’ so it’s clear that it includes organisations that would not ordinarily be considered as a drug treatment service by their employees. This will make it clear that organisations that are potential route 1 suppliers are able to procure naloxone for emergency use if they have concerns about opioid contamination in a workplace. These organisations could include:

• government enforcement authorities, such as Border Force and the National Crime Agency
• private bodies performing public functions, such as lab testing facilities

This change will ensure that people working in places where they are handling illicit substances will be better protected from potential adverse effects of opioids. It will also help organisations manage the unique risks posed by synthetic opioids by having access to naloxone.

This is essentially a technical change that is not expected to have a direct impact on members of the public who are not performing specialist activities.

Creating a new route of supply for emergency naloxone

We are committed to ensuring naloxone is readily accessible to help save lives and reduce the number of opioid overdoses. While distributing supplies of naloxone for future use is one way to achieve these commitments, there are still challenges in ensuring naloxone is accessible in any emergency. Regional provision of naloxone continues to vary, and low public awareness about what naloxone is, how to use it and where to find it, reduces the effectiveness of naloxone as a rapid response tool.

In countries where naloxone is available over the counter, or through equivalent medicine classifications, various publicly accessible emergency-use naloxone models have been introduced as an overdose prevention method. For example, in the USA, many states have introduced vending machines stocked with naloxone in high-risk areas. Some of these programmes have been linked to measurable declines in overdose deaths, showing the effectiveness of making naloxone more readily available in public settings.

In the past year, there have been proposals from councils and local initiatives to place naloxone in publicly accessible emergency locked boxes across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, the legislation does not currently allow for this provision of supply. There was a small pilot of this supply approach in Gwent, Wales where it was reported one of the boxes was used to save a life.

Placing naloxone in publicly accessible emergency locked boxes, using a similar model to defibrillator cabinets, would be a new approach in the UK. The naloxone in the box would be accessible to an individual through a code provided by the suppliers of the box or by calling 999. Provision would be made to enable both automated supply and supply following discussion with a support service.

This overdose prevention method would enable more local areas to have naloxone available at any time in high-risk public spaces such as high streets and near to nightlife venues, without needing a prescription or in person supply.

This approach offers a practical way for ensuring naloxone is available if there is an overdose emergency where quick administration can be vital to saving a life. There may also be benefits to increasing overall public awareness of naloxone by placing the medication in publicly visible and accessible locations.

So, we are proposing to amend the legislation to enable organisations and services to supply naloxone using the delivery model of a locked box. We are proposing the box should be supplied and operated as part of:

• the NHS
• another service that is funded wholly or partly by the appropriate national authorities or a local authority
• arrangements with the appropriate national authorities or local authority (that already have well established governance and training requirements)

Amendments to the legislation to allow for route of supply through emergency locked boxes would be enabling only. It would ordinarily be a decision for local areas about whether to implement this legislative change, as we would expect them, rather than national authorities, to take the lead. This approach will need to maintain and adhere to the safety measures for naloxone as a prescription-only medication.

If the legislative changes come into force, we will publish guidance to establish the safety conditions for this model to be operationalised in England. At this stage, we are proposing all forms of naloxone (nasal and injectable) be included in the legislation, with a requirement that proportionate training be provided before use (either over the phone or through information within the box itself).

We will also conduct further work to build the evidence base and understand different delivery models for this approach. This will help us to decide whether to support national implementation in England and support the devolved governments to do the same.

Legislative background and basis

We are proposing to amend the HMRs on the 3 proposals set out above. We will do so using the enabling powers in part 2 of the MMDA.

Section 45(1) of the MMDA includes a statutory requirement for the appropriate authority (DHSC and DoH (NI) in this consultation) to carry out a public consultation on proposed amendments to the HMRs. Since the proposed changes to legislation would apply throughout the UK, this consultation is being made available in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and has been published in the joint names of all 4 governments. However, other than in Northern Ireland, this policy is reserved rather than devolved, meaning that only DHSC and DoH (NI) have the power to make the legislative changes using the MMDA.

Section 2 of the MMDA requires that the appropriate authority’s overarching objective must be ‘safeguarding public health’ when it makes regulations about human medicines. Our proposals contribute towards this objective.

Drug-related deaths are at an all-time high in the UK, which is largely due to record numbers of deaths from opioid overdoses. Expanding naloxone availability for both future and emergency use is one clear policy solution to reduce the number of opioid-related deaths. Making naloxone more easily obtainable by people who use drugs and their support groups and networks will mean that when an opioid overdose occurs, it’s more likely that there will be naloxone nearby that can be administered to save a life.

Section 2 of the MMDA specifies that where the regulations may have an impact on the safety of human medicines, the appropriate authority may only make the regulations if the benefits outweigh the risks. Also, section 45(3) of the MMDA requires that the consultation carried out by the appropriate authority must include a summary assessment of how proposed changes might affect the:

• safety of human medicines
• availability of human medicines
• likelihood of the relevant part of the UK being seen as a favourable place in which to carry out research relating to human medicines, including conducting clinical trials and manufacturing or supplying human medicines

The third point is not considered relevant in these proposals.

The proposed changes will affect the second point, the availability of human medicines. We have described above how this would positively affect public health.

We do not judge that the proposed changes will affect the first point, the safety of human medicines. Naloxone is an extremely safe drug and has zero effect when administered to people who have not taken opioids. The main risk in using naloxone is that because it has a shorter half-life than many opioids, it may wear off before the patient is fully recovered. This means that a second dose of naloxone may need to be administered. This information is clearly set out in the leaflets that are available in naloxone kits.

To reduce the risk of naloxone even further, the additional services we are proposing to be able to supply should train their staff about:

• which recipients are taught how to identify an opioid overdose
• when and how to administer one or more doses of naloxone
• the importance of calling the emergency services in addition to administering naloxone

We expect that the services supplying naloxone using the lock box model will provide proportionate training to people accessing the box, so they can administer naloxone safely. We will issue guidance about this training. The guidance will also set out how emergency services will be engaged if the lock box is used. The lock box will be securely fitted and will only be accessible by a code that would be given by a phone call or as part of an approved automated opening procedure.

The contents of the lock box and the box itself will be the responsibility of the person and/or service providing drug treatment services from that lock box. This person and/or service must provide those services only under arrangements that are part of the local health service or with an appropriate national body or local authority.

The appropriate authority will continue to assess the matters set out in section 2(2) to (4) of the MMDA before making any regulations under section 2 to give effect to the policy proposed in this consultation.

Statutory duties

Public sector equality duty

The general equality duty that is set out in the Equality Act 2010 requires public authorities, in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard to the need to:

• eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the act
• advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
• foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not

These are sometimes called the 3 aims of the duty. 

The protected characteristics covered by this duty are:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership
• pregnancy and maternity
• race
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

We do not consider that the proposals detailed in this consultation document would have an impact on the first aim of the duty. On the second and third aims, our view is that these proposals will not have an adverse or differential impact on individuals with protected characteristics.

Environmental principles policy statement duty

On 1 November 2023, the Environmental principles policy statement duty came into force in relation to England, Wales and Scotland. This places a legal duty on UK ministers to have due regard to the government’s environmental principles policy statement when developing policy.

The statement sets out 5 internationally recognised environmental principles to be considered. The 5 principles work together to help create opportunities to avoid, minimise and remedy environmental damage and improve environmental protection.

The 5 principles are:

• integration - environmental protection should be integrated into the making of policy
• prevention - damage to the environment should be prevented before it has occurred and/or existing damage should be contained
• rectification at source - damage to the environment should be tackled at its origin
• polluter pays - the costs of pollution should be borne by those causing it, wherever possible
• precautionary - policymakers need to make a reasonable assessment of the environmental risk, particularly where there is a lack of scientific certainty

Our view is that there will be environmental benefits as a result of this policy, although it is difficult to estimate the full extent of those benefits.

The policy will expand access to naloxone both for future use and emergency use which will result in increased local availability of naloxone. This may reduce the need for people seeking naloxone to travel long distances, which may reduce emissions. However, increasing the availability of naloxone through different delivery mechanisms, there may be increased plastic waste from the packaging of the medication. Our overall view is that the benefit of saving a life outweighs the minimal environmental risk involved with expanding access to naloxone.

Duties under the Family Test

In developing policy, consideration needs to be given to the effect it will have on family relationships and functioning. In particular, we are required to have regard to any negative impact on:

• family formation
• families going through key transitions
• ability of family members to play a full role in family life
• families before, during and after couple separation
• families most at risk of deterioration of relationship quality and breakdown

For more information, see Family Test: assessing the impact of policies on families.

The proposals in this policy are designed to improve access to naloxone for people at risk of opioid overdose, making it easier for vulnerable people to access the medicines they need without needing a prescription.

Our view is that these proposals will not, have a direct impact on family relationships and functioning.

Duties in Northern Ireland: equality and rural screening

In Northern Ireland, new policies must be screened under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which places a statutory duty on public authorities to ‘mainstream’ equality in all its functions. This means that equality of opportunity and good relations are central to policy making and service delivery.

Also, new or revised policies must be ‘rural proofed’ in line with the Rural Needs Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, which requires public authorities to have due regard to rural needs.

DoH (NI) does not consider that these policy proposals will create inequalities or risk impacting people differently with regard to where they live geographically in Northern Ireland.

Next steps

Depending on the responses to this consultation, we will seek to amend the HMRs. The enabling powers in the MMDA require that the legislation is passed by both the UK Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly. So, a final draft of the legislation will need to be laid before, debated by and approved by both the UK Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

After the legislation is approved by the UK Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly, guidance will be issued in each of the 4 nations to support professionals and services to make use of the proposed changes.

How to respond

Please respond through our online survey.

Do not provide personal data when responding to free text survey questions. We will remove any personal data included before we analyse these responses, and they will not be considered in the consultation outcome.

The consultation is open for 10 weeks and will close at 11:59pm on 9 March 2026. If you respond after this date, your response will not be considered.

If you have any queries about this consultation, email addictionspolicy@dhsc.gov.uk. Do not send your consultation answers or any personal information to this email address. 

Consultation questions

About you

In what capacity are you responding to this survey?

• An individual sharing my personal views and experiences
• An individual sharing my professional views
• On behalf of an organisation

Questions for individuals sharing their personal or professional views

Where do you live in the UK?

• England
• Scotland
• Wales
• Northern Ireland
• I live outside the UK

If you live in England, which area of England do you live in?

• North East England
• North West England
• Yorkshire and the Humber
• East of England
• East Midlands
• West Midlands
• South East England
• South West England
• London
• Prefer not to say

Question for individuals sharing professional views

What is your profession or job role?

• Drug treatment worker
• Outreach and day services
• Accommodation and housing service provider
• Registered pharmacy professional
• Other, please specify

Questions for people responding on behalf of an organisation

What is the name of your organisation?

Which is the best description of the type of organisation that you represent?

• Governmental
• Public sector
• Arm’s length body
• Charity
• Community interest company
• Professional representative body
• NHS trust
• Criminal justice
• Other, please specify

What is your role in the organisation? (Optional)

Where does your organisation operate or provide services? Select all that apply.

• England
• Wales
• Scotland
• Northern Ireland
• The whole of the UK
• Outside the UK

If you said England, which area of England does your organisation operate or provide services? Select all that apply.

• North East England
• North West England
• Yorkshire and the Humber
• East of England
• East Midlands
• West Midlands
• South East England
• South West England
• London

Expanding the route 1 list of services and professionals

We are proposing to add 3 types of services into the route 1 list of professionals and services who can supply naloxone for future use without needing a prescription. They are:

• hostels for people experiencing homelessness
• day centres for people experiencing homelessness
• outreach services for people experiencing homelessness

This is with the intention of expanding access to naloxone for people at risk of opioid overdose.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the proposal to enable hostels for people experiencing homelessness to supply naloxone without a prescription through route 1?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Don’t know

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the proposal to enable day centres for people experiencing homelessness to supply naloxone without a prescription through route 1?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Don’t know

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the proposal to enable outreach services for people experiencing homelessness to supply naloxone without a prescription through route 1?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Don’t know

We are proposing to bring requirements for pharmacists supplying take-home naloxone in line with other route 1 suppliers by amending regulation 253 of the HMRs so that pharmacists are not required to make a record of such a supply.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the proposal?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Don’t know

If you have any further comments on these proposals, please include them here. (Optional, maximum 250 words)

Clearly enabling organisations whose employees are at risk of opioid contamination to procure and stock naloxone for emergency use

We are proposing to amend the legislation to clarify the definition of drug treatment services.

This is to end the uncertainty about whether certain organisations are able to procure naloxone for emergency use if they have concerns about opioid contamination or accidental exposure in a workplace. These organisations may include government enforcement authorities, such as Border Force and the National Crime Agency and private bodies performing public functions, such as lab testing facilities.

This is essentially a technical change that is not expected to have a direct impact on members of the public who are not performing specialist activities.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this proposal?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Don’t know

If you have any further comments on this proposal, please include them here. (Optional, maximum 250 words)

Aside from government enforcement authorities and lab testing facilities, do you know of any other organisations whose employees are at risk of opioid contamination who may benefit from procuring naloxone for emergency use?

• Yes
• No

Please explain your answer. (Optional, maximum 250 words)

Creating a new route of supply

We are proposing to amend the legislation to enable organisations and services to supply naloxone for public emergency use using the delivery model of a locked box.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the proposal to enable the supply of naloxone through a publicly accessible emergency locked box, which can be accessed in the event of an opioid overdose?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Don’t know

To what extent do you agree or disagree that enabling the supply of naloxone through a publicly accessible emergency locked box model would be a helpful tool in increasing public awareness of naloxone?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Don’t know

If a publicly accessible emergency locked box model was introduced, we propose the box would be supplied and operated as part of:

• the NHS
• another service that is funded wholly or partly by the appropriate national authorities or a local authority
• arrangements with the appropriate national authorities or local authority (that already have well established governance and training requirements)

To what extent do you agree or disagree that (if introduced) the publicly accessible emergency locked boxes should be supplied and operated by organisations that provide an NHS or other publicly funded service?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Don’t know
• Not applicable - I disagree with the proposal to introduce a publicly accessible emergency locked box model

To what extent do you agree or disagree that (if introduced) the supply of naloxone in a publicly accessible emergency locked box should include both nasal and injectable naloxone products?

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Strongly disagree
• Don’t know
• Not applicable - I disagree with the proposal to introduce a publicly accessible emergency locked box model

If you have any further comments on these proposals, please include them here. (Optional, maximum 250 words)

Comments on the full legislation

The consultation document provides a summary of the proposals in the draft legislation. We have also included the draft statutory instrument to enable respondents to see the full detail. We welcome further thoughts on the finer detail of this legislation.

If you have any further comments on the detail of the draft legislation, please include them here. (Optional, maximum 500 words)

Do you think the proposals risk impacting people differently, or could impact adversely on any of the protected characteristics covered by the public sector equality duty set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 or by section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998?

• Yes
• No
• Don’t know

Please explain your answer. (Optional, maximum 250 words)

In Northern Ireland, any new or revised policies must be ‘rural proofed’ in line with the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016. The Department of Health (Northern Ireland) has assessed this and does not consider that these policy proposals will affect people differently if they live in rural areas in Northern Ireland.

Do you agree or disagree with this assessment?

• Agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Disagree
• Don’t know

Please explain your answer. (Optional, maximum 250 words)

Privacy notice

For details about how we process and manage your personal information, see our DHSC privacy notice.