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stear airson Slf:linte Coimhearsnachd agus Cuisean Lagha Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs
Roseanna Chonaigean SPA Roseanna Cunningham MSP

FIT:08457741741
E: scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

The Scottish Government

Riaghaltas na h-Alba

Ms Kezia Dugdale MSP The Scottish Parliament EDINBURGH EH991SP

Ur faidhlelYour ref: GC-03/08/11 Ar faidhle/Our ref: 2011/1013767 2'2. August 2011

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Thank you for your letter of 3 August 2011 to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy regarding the National Naloxone Programme. As the Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs I have responsibility for drugs policy which includes this programme. As you are aware the Naloxone Programme is well underway right across Scotland and we are supporting it with 500 000 over the first two years which includes reimbursement of all kits issued, a national training programme, information materials and specific support to the Scottish Prison Service as well as a clear monitoring and evaluation programme to assess its impact. The issue you raise around the provision of naloxone to crucial non health staff in services such as homeless hostels, supported accommodation and outreach services was indeed a limitation of the programme owing to the current legal restrictions of supplying Prescription Only Medicines (POMs). It was for this very reason that the Lord Advocate issued guidance which ensures all practitioners are permitted to supply individuals working in services that are 'likely to come into contact with those at risk of opiate overdose' with naloxone. In basic terms, this protects anyone who is authorised to supply naloxone whether through a Patient Group Direction (PGD) or a prescription. The Guidelines enable service staff that are in contact with those at risk of overdose to be supplied naloxone once they have completed the training in line with the national PGD. Following reports from various homeless hostel managers that there was a concern over how the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) would view the programme and crucially how they would reflect this in their inspections, my officials have met SCSWIS officials who have confirmed their complete support and understanding of the
Taigh Naomh Anndrais, Rathad Regent, Dun Eideann EH 1 3DG St Andrew's House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG www.scotland.gov.uk

programme. They are fully content that under the national PGD, a service worker can be supplied with a naloxone kit and that that same worker can store the kit within the hostel premises. They note that this must be stored in line with any other POM and can be administered by anyone in an emergency. My officials have worked closely with SCSWIS to draft guidelines to be published on their website and intra net in order to raise awareness of their support for the programme. They have also agreed to speak at a national naloxone development seminar on 31 August in order to further reassure the sector that they support the programme. We fully understand the initial reticence of some within this sector but are confident that the reassurances of SCSWIS through their website, intranet and e-magazine as well as their participation in our national event for all local naloxone leads will ease any fears and enable the programme to be as widespread as possible and help to significantly reduce drug related deaths in Scotland.

ROSEANNA CUNNINGHAM

Taigh Naomh Anndrais, Rathad Regent, Dun Eideann EHl 3DG St Andrew's House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EHl 3DG www.scotland.gov.uk