Naloxone is a first aid medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. It comes in a nasal spray called Nyxoid and is also available in the form of an easy-to-use injection, called Prenoxad.
In England, anyone can carry a naloxone kit and use it in an emergency to save a life. It is available from drug treatment providers and from some pharmacies, but accessing these locations is not always possible or easy, especially in rural areas such as Lincolnshire.
Lincolnshire Co-op pharmacies have been proactive in their response to an increase in overdoses in the Boston area and recognises the positive impact they can have in supporting communities by providing naloxone.
Initially, Prenoxad naloxone will be available in 36 Lincolnshire Co-op pharmacies, with plans to introduce the service in other sites in the future.
Pharmacies can offer naloxone when someone requests it and when providing opiate substitute medication or opioid medications, alongside a needle and syringe transition. They can now supply naloxone directly under approved arrangements, without requiring a prescription or referral to drug treatment services.
Haley (not real name), was supported by Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership after she struggled with substance use and overdosed four years ago.
“I have very little memory of the event, but I am so grateful that my friend was there to administer naloxone and save my life,” said Haley.
“I have been able to rebuild my life and have a healthy little baby boy.”
The increased availability of naloxone comes at a crucial time with the Home Office saying it expects an increase in drug-related deaths in the coming years due to the increase in production of synthetic opioids, such as nitazenes.
Nitazenes are a class of synthetic opioids up to 500 times more potent than heroin that is increasingly linked to fatal overdoses.
The Home Office revealed that at least 400 deaths across the UK were linked to nitazenes between June 2023 and early 2025.
However, a recent King's College London report estimated that this only reflected a third of the actual number of deaths because nitazenes are highly unstable and degrade rapidly in post-mortem blood samples.
Alongside efforts to increase access to naloxone and reduce drug related deaths in the county, Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership has trained almost a quarter of all Lincolnshire Police officers on how to administer naloxone to help tackle the rise in synthetic opioids.
Josh Pinder, Healthcare Development Manager at Lincolnshire Co-op, said:
“By introducing this service, we are making a potentially life-saving intervention more accessible to people at risk of opiate related overdoses, as well as their families, friends and carers. Our friendly colleagues have close relationships with patients and are able to give them the support they need without fear of judgement.
“Pharmacies are uniquely positioned to provide timely support, advice and access to naloxone, helping to reduce preventable deaths and strengthen our commitment to improving health and wellbeing in our local communities.”
Adam Sutcliffe, Senior Operations Manager at Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership, said:
“Pharmacies are vital in the running of our service. Many of the people we support have frequent contact with pharmacy staff, so it made sense for pharmacy teams to be trained and able to supply naloxone kits.
“The people we support report positive relationships with pharmacy staff; they trust their advice and expertise, feel cared for, and find them easy to access.
“Pharmacy staff also see people who are not currently in treatment, and attending a pharmacy can feel less stigmatising for some people"
Lucy Bond, Harm Reduction and Health Promotion Lead at Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership, said:
“I'm so pleased to see how enthusiastically Lincolnshire Co-op pharmacies have taken on this new responsibility. Although it is still relatively early days, we have seen several kits already being given out across the county.
“The more people that carry a naloxone kit means the more people we can potentially save from opiate related overdoses.
“Everyone should carry a kit; you never know where or when you might witness an overdose.”