Naloxone on release

The course provides guidelines for naloxone provision upon release from prison and other custodial settings. The immediate time after release (“my first 48 hours out”) is a critical time for action, when the cooperation between prisons, healthcare providers and NGOs is key in ensuring continuity of care and where targeted interventions can save lives from overdose and build a path towards engagement into further treatment and rehabilitation for people who use drugs.

This course will:

  • advise policymakers of the practical steps necessary to introduce naloxone-on-release
  • inform programme managers of the benefits of naloxone-on-release and provide advice on implementation.

This course aims to support prison doctors, prison health care workers, NGOs, people who come into contact with people who use drugs, GPs, nurses, teachers, police, housing workers and social workers and mental health workers.

Since there are variations in policy and guidelines by country, the course cannot reflect country-specific regulations. It presents general principles, to complement, not replace, national and international guidelines.

The course is a product of the “My first 48 hours out – comprehensive approaches to pre and post-prison release interventions for drug users in the criminal justice system” project.

4 modules with 20 activities Last updated: 27 March 2022

Here you will find basic information about the course, about opioid overdose, and about the "My first 48 hours out" project.

When you finish the course, look into this section to find additional materials, both for self learning and for training others in lethal overdose prevention.

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Learning paths

In partnership with:
ISFF
FUAS
Correlation Network