A HEREFORDSHIRE drug and alcohol recovery service has launched a lifesaving kit to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

The recovery kit that is being distributed contains the drug naloxone, a first-aid medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

In England, anyone can carry a naloxone kit and use it in an emergency to save a life. It is available from drug treatment providers and from some pharmacies, but for some people, accessing these locations is not always easy or possible.

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Turning Point’s Herefordshire drug and alcohol recovery service’s Click & Deliver programme will see naloxone kits being delivered to individuals at a place of their choice. The charity said it recognised that people with limited mobility or living in isolated areas may struggle to access life-saving medication, and the delivery service aims to help take away some of the stigma around collecting the kits.

Individuals need to fill out an online form, and an optional training session, and then their free naloxone kit will be posted in discreet packaging.

The Herefordshire service is delivered from a main hub in Hereford with six satellite services that are delivered in Leominster, Bromyard, Kington, Ledbury, Leominster, and Ross-on-Wye. These satellite services were commissioned due to the rural nature of the community.

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Deb Hussey, Turning Point’s national safer lives lead, said: “With the increasing risk from potent synthetic opioids, it’s never been more important to make it as easy as possible for people to access naloxone.

By removing the barriers experienced by some, Click & Deliver helps us raise awareness and make sure we’re getting naloxone into the hands of the people who need it. This will save lives.”

Chris Franks, operations manager at Herefordshire Recovery Service, said that it was wonderful to be able to “empower people” to learn more about their services and the risks of overdoses.

“The easier we can make it for people to carry naloxone, the better the chances are that we can save more lives," he added.