Overdose reversal drug saves 22 lives, report estimates

The lives of an estimated 22 Irish drug users have been saved through use of the overdose reversal drug naloxone, according to a new HSE study.

Naloxone was administered on 569 occasions over a three-year period, the study on the use of the medication in addiction and homeless services between 2018 and 2020 found. Nine people – or 2 per cent – who overdosed died, while 98 per cent survived, the report from the National Social Inclusion Office said.

Administered through injection, naloxone acts by reversing, within minutes, the effects of an overdose caused by drugs such as heroin, morphine and methadone.

Almost three-quarters of cases where naloxone was administered were from Co Dublin. Four areas of Dublin city – Dublin 1, 7, 8 and 2 – accounted for more than two-thirds of overdoses where naloxone was administered.

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Half (51 per cent) of those who received the medication had taken more than one substance, and 62 per cent had overdosed by injection.

The report attempts to put a financial value on the saving achieved by using naloxone. It says the 22 estimated lives saved equates to savings of €968,550 from 2018-2020 in “gained productivity savings”, or €14,595,365 over the lifetime of those who were saved. This resulted in an estimated productivity saving of €670,736 over three years, when supply and administration costs were deducted.

For every €1 spent on the programme, there was a return of €2.36 in terms of gained productivity due to death prevention, it says.

“From a health perspective, it is recognised that the increased availability of training and the provision of naloxone in the community has potential to reduce drug-related deaths among a population who use opioid drugs. This report has highlighted this fact and continued investment will benefit individuals and their families,” said Prof Eamon Keenan, HSE national clinical lead for addiction services.

“We have identified a need to improve research, expand provision and engage with stakeholders in relation to naloxone and this is particularly relevant if we observe what is happening in relation to the emergence of synthetic opioids, which carry additional overdose risks, in parts of Europe and North America.”