Effectiveness of Scotland's National Naloxone Programme for reducing opioid-related deaths: a before (2006-10) versus after (2011-13) comparison.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

To assess the effectiveness for Scotland's National Naloxone Programme (NNP) by comparison between 2006-10 (before) and 2011-13 (after NNP started in January 2011) and to assess cost-effectiveness.

Design

This was a pre-post evaluation of a national policy. Cost-effectiveness was assessed by prescription costs against life-years gained per opioid-related death (ORD) averted.

Setting

Scotland, in community settings and all prisons.

Intervention

Brief training and standardized naloxone supply became available to individuals at risk of opioid overdose.

Measurements

ORDs as identified by National Records of Scotland. Look-back determined the proportion of ORDs who, in the 4 weeks before ORD, had been (i) released from prison (primary outcome) and (ii) r

SUBMITTER: Bird SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4982071 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature