Pharmac funding for Opioid Reversal Drug, Naloxone Reccomended
- newzealand9
- May 3, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 6, 2024
The Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory (PTAC) expert committee have just released a report recommending that Pharmac fund naloxone nasal spray for non-paramedic first responders and people at high risk of opioid overdose. This recommendation outlines very clearly that community access to naloxone is essential if Aotearoa is to avoid the epidemics sweeping through other parts of the world. The PTAC committee determined that the funding of naloxone nasal spray is a high priority.
The prevalence of highly potent opioids within Aotearoa is a growing threat. Novel fentanyl analogues, such as metonitazene, have been found within the Aotearoa illicit drug supply often misrepresented as other substances. These highly potent opioids present a serious problem in Aotearoa and around the world.
In January 2024 nitazenes were sold as MDMA in Sydney.[1] In June 2022 fentanyl misrepresented as cocaine caused the hospitalisation of 11 people in the Wairarapa. [2]
Opioid poisoning is an endemic in many other parts of the world, killing tens of thousands of people in North America annually. Overseas, interventions to combat this growing problem includes the distribution of naloxone nasal spray. The New Zealand Drug Foundation (NZDF) reported that between 2017-2021 333 deaths were attributable to opioid overdose. All 333 deaths could have been prevented if naloxone was available to these persons.
How does Naloxone work?
Opioids slow down a person’s breathing. If enough are consumed breathing may stop entirely. The lack of oxygen supply results in brain damage in approximately 6 minutes and death within 12 minutes.
Naloxone blocks the action of the opioids and has been used by medical professionals for decades. Naloxone can restore breathing and prevent death in the case of an overdose. What’s even better is that naloxone does not have any effect on people who have not consumed an opioid. Naloxone is classed as a general medicine in Aotearoa, that’s the same class as paracetamol. Naloxone is safe and naloxone saves lives.
Why naloxone nasal spray?
Naloxone nasal spray provides a non-invasive treatment that lay-persons can use to intervene. The PTAC committee recommends the funding of the nasal spray version for non-paramedic first responders as the nasal spray is easy to use. Essentially the nasal spray could be administered by anyone responding to an overdose.
Community access to Naloxone in North Dunedin is a high priority.
Potent opioids have been misrepresented as MDMA. The outcomes of opioid overdose are also worsened by the poly-substance consumption of alcohol. Meaning the very common combination of MDMA and alcohol consumed by the residents of North Dunedin is a context in which misrepresented potent opioids could cause great amounts of harm.
It’s about damn time the University of Otago to pull its head out of the sand and do something about it.
Students for Sensible Drug Policy Ōtepoti/Dunedin has been encouraging the University of Otago to hold naloxone nasal spray at U-Bar since the club began. In fact, SSDP Ōtepoti objected to the U-Bar liquor licence primarily on the grounds of adding a condition to hold naloxone on site. The Dunedin district licencing committee did not apply this condition, despite the evidence provided by SSDP Ōtepoti that naloxone nasal spray is a safe, effective, and essential medication.
In the last year, SSDP Ōtepoti decided that the lack of action to improve access to naloxone was not going to stop us trying. Thus, in an act of ethical non-compliance, SSDP began training on-licenced venues on naloxone nasal spray use and encouraging them to hold it on-site in the case of an opioid overdose. SSDP Ōtepoti achieved much of this goal and recognises that multiple on-licenced venues within Ōtepoti/Dunedin now have naloxone nasal spray on-site.
The University of Otago have continued to ignore us and still does not have any naloxone onsite or with Campus Watch.
The University of Otago Pastoral Care Code of Practice outlines its commitment to student safety and wellbeing. By refusing to hold naloxone at U-Bar or providing it to campus watch teams to carry, The University of Otago effectively fails to adhere to that code of practice. The University of Otago refuses to take precautions that help ensure the safety of students, despite the blatant evidence in support of greater access to a lifesaving medication.
The Sophia Charter was established to create a safer environment for the residents of North Dunedin, Bede and Elspeth set up the charter as they did not want any other students to die from preventable means. Failure to carry naloxone in the case of an opioid poisoning within North Dunedin would be a failure of The University of Otago’s commitment to the charter and a failure to honour Sophia Crestani.
How many kids must die before the University of Otago acts?
Ngā mihi nui / Kind regards
Max Phillips
President
Students for Sensible Drug Policy Ōtepoti-Dunedin
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