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the TGA. More than 600 people
died in 2010 from heroin and other
similar drugs. That makes the
TGA’s amendment of Naloxone
timely.
Professor Dietze again
PAUL DIETZE: It is important to note
that it is a change in schedule,
rather than a reschedule. So, it
means that Naloxone will still be
scheduled on Schedule 4, which
means you can still obtain it
through prescription, but it will also
be available on Schedule 3, which
means it can be obtained over the
counter through a pharmacy.
PENNY TIMMS: And that’s really
important when it comes to
cost. Those with a prescription
could expect to pay as little as $6
for a single-use injectable, but for
those who need it without a script,
pharmacies could charge what they
want.
Naloxone is described as being life-
saving medication, with minimal
side effects. In fact, all it does is
reverse an overdose; it has no effect
on somebody who doesn’t have
opioids in their system, and it’s not
addictive.
PAUL DIETZE: There has been moves
to make it more widely available.
But I guess the thing that drove the
initial concern was the opioid
overdose epidemic of the mid to
late 1990s.
PENNY TIMMS: Australia is expected
to become just the second nation in
the world to introduce access to
Naloxone through a pharmacist.
Dr Parnis again
STEPHEN PARNIS: As Ken Lay and
other senior police have said over
the years, you can’t arrest your way
out of these circumstances.
Certainly harm minimisation has to
be a key aspect of the way we
handle these things, and certainly
education, because knowledge is
power and we really do want to try
and reduce the harm that occurs
went people take illicit substances.
PENNY TIMMS: Professor Dietze
wants authorities to go one step
further.
PAUL DIETZE: One of the things that
we really need to do is make sure
that it’s available to people who
might be at risk of overdose who
mightn’t come into contact with
pharmacists and mightn’t have the
money to pay.
So, we really need to be providing
it through other services, like
primary health centres, and maybe
needle and syringe programs that
really do have the capacity to
actually provide it and they have
the expertise.
PENNY TIMMS: The amendment
comes into effect in February.
TIM PALMER: Penny Timms
reporting.