THE HSE has launched a pilot scheme in Cork providing access to a life-saving drug which can help reverse a heroin overdose and potentially save lives.
It plans to provide naloxone, a medicine which can reverse an opioid overdose, directly to those who have overdosed but refuse ambulance transport to hospital.
In 2021 354 people lost their lives in Ireland through overdose, with opioids the most common drug group reported accounting for seven in ten deaths.
The initiative was launched by HSE NAS Alternative Prehospital Pathway (APP), a team led by Dr Daragh Mathews, emergency medicine doctor at Cork University Hospital.
The APP team includes a doctor who can provide a naloxone take-home pack, ensuring this medication reaches those most at risk.
In 2024, the HSE supplied 6,944 units of naloxone to services nationwide and trained 2,330 people in overdose awareness and naloxone administration in collaboration with community partners.
‘This new service can save lives by getting naloxone into the hands of people who need it most, when it’s needed,’ said Dr Mathews.
‘For someone who has just experienced an overdose, even if they choose not to go to hospital, a witness having access to naloxone could mean a vital second chance.’
Prof Eamon Keenan, national clinical lead for HSE addiction services, said if successful the scheme had the potential to be rolled out in other areas.
He added: ‘It will improve access to naloxone for people who use drugs in the community, and this is a key factor in reducing overdose deaths in our society.’
