NaloxoNe
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The latest release of worsening statistics has kept drug-related deaths ( DRDs ) at the forefront of everyone ’ s mind , whether treatment providers , family members , friends or peers .
In May Nottingham ’ s user-led campaign group , SCUF , was approached by the European Network of People who Use Drugs ( EuroNPUD ) to discuss the possibility of a partnership . The suggestion was to work together for a three-month period to promote peer-topeer distribution of naloxone .
The initiative started on International Remembrance Day on 21 July , when drug using communities across the world come together to remember those we ' ve lost during the year and highlight the war on drugs – especially with budget cuts and services being decommissioned .
Local service users came together for action , and through working with neighbouring specialist support services , the P2POD ( Peer to Peer Overdose ) group was formed . We have
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the firm belief that it will be beneficial to all in reducing the unnecessary deaths of our friends and peers by ensuring all users , as well as their families and carers , have access to naloxone – the drug that temporarily reverses the effects of opioid overdose and buys time for medical professionals like the ambulance service to arrive .
A lack of knowledge around naloxone has meant that there has often been confrontation when the ambulance arrives , and we believe by informing service users properly we can avoid this .
P2POD group have met a number of times this year . We arranged events for International Remembrance Day on 21 July and Overdose Awareness Day on 31 August , as well as organising naloxone training for our local harm reduction week at the end of August . We have been able to raise awareness , distribute naloxone to peers , and cement future working relationships for peer-to-peer distribution of naloxone in Nottingham . This also demonstrated once again how
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Peer-to-peer naloxone initiatives are proving an effective way to tackle overdose risk . Lee Collingham describes how SCUF are grasping the opportunity in Nottingham
HeigHt of AwAreness
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important engaging with service users is to the success of any project and the annual release of DRD figures only cemented the group ’ s commitment .
Local service providers and commissioners came along to the events , where service users were trained in basic overdose response . Participants were shown how to administer naloxone by one of their peers and issued with a naloxone kit before leaving , and were told exactly what happens when it is administered . It ’ s our firm belief that if people understand what ’ s going on , and that it momentarily reverses an overdose , they are less likely to hit out at the person administering it . This information also prevents the person from running off to score again , only to collapse as the effects of the naloxone wear off .
We are grateful to the team at EuroNPUD and local service providers , not only for their support , but for backing the possibility of peer-to-peer distribution of naloxone in Nottingham .
‘ A lack of knowledge around naloxone has meant that there has often been confrontation when the ambulance arrives ’
Mat Southwell shares EuroNPUD ’ s strategy to spread the initiatives far and wide
Peer to Peer
The European Network of People who Use Drugs ( EuroNPUD ) has undertaken a project to understand barriers to accessing naloxone in the UK . The project has been funded by an unrestricted educational grant from Martindale Pharma , which has also enabled us to explore peer to peer overdose prevention training and naloxone supply .
We began by selecting three areas with at least twice the average number of opioid overdoses and where we have strong local peer partners – Liverpool , Burnley and Blackpool . The partners in these areas initially undertook a mapping exercise identifying local planners , service providers and community stakeholders .
EuroNPUD and our local peer partners then ran a focus group in August , with eight to ten local
community stakeholders in each area . This involved a range of drug users and family members with different experiences of drug use and drug services . We also trained the local peers to deliver a mystery shopper activity , testing access to naloxone for drug users and family members .
Drawing on case studies from London and Glasgow in the UK , Kachin in Myanmar , Minnesota in the USA , and Canberra in Australia , EuroNPUD has researched and written a technical briefing on the peer-to-peer distribution of naloxone . This gave examples of drug users distributing naloxone to their peers and shared good practice tips from the peer experts that have been interviewed for the project .
The peer-to-peer technical briefing provided the focus for a second local event in on 31 August , International Overdose Awareness Day – a lunchtime briefing that targeted peers , families and professional partners . Its purpose was to engage stakeholders in hearing the findings on local drug users ’ assessment of access to naloxone . This also supported an advocacy planning exercise to design a peer-led advocacy initiative , which has been backed up with a £ 1,000 local advocacy grant .
The EuroNPUD project team has also produced a report describing the methodology and learning , launched at a media event alongside the naloxone technical briefing , where peer experts from across the UK showcased peer-to-peer distribution of naloxone . We are now producing an open source standard toolkit , supporting the delivery of this activity in other areas or national settings .
16 | drinkanddrugsnews | September 2018 www . drinkanddrugsnews . com