To the Editor: We wish to call for the removal of scheduling and legislative barriers in Australia that prevent easy access to naloxone for administration by peers to people suffering from a heroin overdose.
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- 1. Black E, Roxburgh A, Degenhardt L, et al. Australian drug trends 2007: findings from the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS). Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, 2008.
- 2. Cvetkovski S, McElwee P. Surveillance of drug related events attended by ambulance in Melbourne. Quarterly report no. 19. Melbourne: Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, 2009.
- 3. Darke S, Hall W. Heroin overdose: research and evidence-based intervention. J Urban Health 2003; 80: 189-200.
- 4. Lenton SR, Hargreaves KM. Should we conduct a trial of distributing naloxone to heroin users for peer administration to prevent fatal overdose? Med J Aust 2000; 173: 260-263. <MJA full text>
- 5. Kim D, Irwin KS, Khoshnood K. Expanded access to naloxone: options for critical response to the epidemic of opioid overdose mortality. Am J Public Health 2009; 99: 402-407.
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Louisa Degenhardt has received an untied educational grant from Reckitt Benckiser to investigate the diversion and injection of buprenorphine. No funder had any input to this letter.