Findings and lessons learnt from implementing Australia's first health service based take-home naloxone program

Abstract: Introduction and Aims: Opioid overdose prevention programs providing take-home naloxone have been expanding internationally. This paper summarises findings and lessons learnt from the Overdose Prevention and Emergency Naloxone Project which is the first take-home naloxone program in Austra...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chronister, K., Lintzeris, N., Jackson, A., Ivan, M., Dietze, P., Lenton, Simon, Kearley, J., van Beek, I.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/11840
_version_ 1848747912875474944
author Chronister, K.
Lintzeris, N.
Jackson, A.
Ivan, M.
Dietze, P.
Lenton, Simon
Kearley, J.
van Beek, I.
author_facet Chronister, K.
Lintzeris, N.
Jackson, A.
Ivan, M.
Dietze, P.
Lenton, Simon
Kearley, J.
van Beek, I.
author_sort Chronister, K.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Abstract: Introduction and Aims: Opioid overdose prevention programs providing take-home naloxone have been expanding internationally. This paper summarises findings and lessons learnt from the Overdose Prevention and Emergency Naloxone Project which is the first take-home naloxone program in Australia implemented in a health care setting. Methods: The Project intervention provided education and take-home naloxone to opioid-using clients at Kirketon Road Centre and The Langton Centre in Sydney. The evaluation study examined uptake and acceptability of the intervention; participants' knowledge and attitudes regarding overdose and participants' experience in opioid overdose situations six months after the intervention. Participants completed baseline, post-training and follow-up questionnaires regarding overdose prevention and management which were analysed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: Eighty-three people participated in the intervention, with 35 (42%) completing follow-up interviews-51% reporting using naloxone with 30 overdoses successfully reversed. There were significant improvements in knowledge and attitudes immediately following training with much retained at follow-up, particularly regarding feeling informed enough (97%) and confident to inject naloxone (100%). Discussion: Take-home naloxone programs can be successfully implemented in Australian health settings. Barriers to uptake, such as lengthy processes and misperceptions around interest in overdose prevention, should be addressed in future program implementation.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T06:56:41Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-11840
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T06:56:41Z
publishDate 2016
publisher Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-118402018-12-14T00:47:47Z Findings and lessons learnt from implementing Australia's first health service based take-home naloxone program Chronister, K. Lintzeris, N. Jackson, A. Ivan, M. Dietze, P. Lenton, Simon Kearley, J. van Beek, I. Abstract: Introduction and Aims: Opioid overdose prevention programs providing take-home naloxone have been expanding internationally. This paper summarises findings and lessons learnt from the Overdose Prevention and Emergency Naloxone Project which is the first take-home naloxone program in Australia implemented in a health care setting. Methods: The Project intervention provided education and take-home naloxone to opioid-using clients at Kirketon Road Centre and The Langton Centre in Sydney. The evaluation study examined uptake and acceptability of the intervention; participants' knowledge and attitudes regarding overdose and participants' experience in opioid overdose situations six months after the intervention. Participants completed baseline, post-training and follow-up questionnaires regarding overdose prevention and management which were analysed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: Eighty-three people participated in the intervention, with 35 (42%) completing follow-up interviews-51% reporting using naloxone with 30 overdoses successfully reversed. There were significant improvements in knowledge and attitudes immediately following training with much retained at follow-up, particularly regarding feeling informed enough (97%) and confident to inject naloxone (100%). Discussion: Take-home naloxone programs can be successfully implemented in Australian health settings. Barriers to uptake, such as lengthy processes and misperceptions around interest in overdose prevention, should be addressed in future program implementation. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/11840 10.1111/dar.12400 Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. restricted
spellingShingle Chronister, K.
Lintzeris, N.
Jackson, A.
Ivan, M.
Dietze, P.
Lenton, Simon
Kearley, J.
van Beek, I.
Findings and lessons learnt from implementing Australia's first health service based take-home naloxone program
title Findings and lessons learnt from implementing Australia's first health service based take-home naloxone program
title_full Findings and lessons learnt from implementing Australia's first health service based take-home naloxone program
title_fullStr Findings and lessons learnt from implementing Australia's first health service based take-home naloxone program
title_full_unstemmed Findings and lessons learnt from implementing Australia's first health service based take-home naloxone program
title_short Findings and lessons learnt from implementing Australia's first health service based take-home naloxone program
title_sort findings and lessons learnt from implementing australia's first health service based take-home naloxone program
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/11840