Debate contribution: The draft Human Medicines (Amendments Relating to Naloxone and Transfers of Functions) Regulations 2024

Debate contribution by Mr Mike Nesbitt on 14 October 2024.

MLA

Mr Mike Nesbitt

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

14 October 2024

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

The draft Human Medicines (Amendments Relating to Naloxone and Transfers of Functions) Regulations 2024

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4589607

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I beg to move

Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I seek the Assembly's approval for the making of a draft statutory instrument that will amend the Human Medicines Regulations (HMRs) 2012 to lawfully expand access to naloxone, which is a life-saving medication that reverses the effects of an overdose of opioid drugs. In addition, it makes amendments to keep the regulations current by updating references to Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) in Northern Ireland, following the dissolution of those two bodies. I will start with naloxone. We are all aware of the devastating impact that illicit drugs can have. Drugs destroy lives, tear families apart and make our streets less safe. Drug misuse deaths have doubled since 2012. The impact of synthetic opioids on opioid-related deaths is yet to be fully understood. In 2022, opioids were involved in 60% of drug misuse deaths in Northern Ireland. Such deaths are avoidable. Through their substance use strategy, 'Preventing Harm, Empowering Recovery', the Northern Ireland Executive have prioritised reducing alcohol- and drug-related deaths. Naloxone is a highly effective antidote to opioid overdose and, in an emergency, can be administered quickly and safely by anyone. It is considered a very safe medicine for the recipient and the person administering the drug, and it is already widely used in the United Kingdom and worldwide. Currently, however, exemptions in the HMRs allow only drug and alcohol treatment services to supply naloxone to individuals for future use — usually called "take-home naloxone" — which limits the reach of that life-saving medicine. The draft amending statutory instrument that is being debated proposes two key changes. The first is to expand the list of services and professionals named in the regulations that can give out naloxone without a prescription. It means that professionals such as registered nurses and probation officers will be able to provide take-home supplies of naloxone, where appropriate, should they wish to do so. The second proposed change is to establish national registration services across the whole United Kingdom. That will enable all other services and professionals that were unable to be named in the legislation, including housing and homelessness services, to register and to procure naloxone.

That will mean easier access to naloxone for people at risk and for their loved ones. In short, the legislation will save lives. It will not be a mandatory requirement for services or professionals listed in the legislation to supply naloxone. The powers in the draft legislation are enabling, simply allowing the supply of naloxone without a prescription. The intention is not to create new burdens for services but instead to provide an opportunity for provision based on local need. UK-wide consultations on the proposals have taken place, and the proposals received significant support across the United Kingdom. In Northern Ireland, 100% strongly agreed or agreed with the proposed list of named services and professionals that could supply naloxone without a prescription. There are safeguards in the proposals, including the establishment of mandatory training requirements for new services and professionals who wish to take on the role. That training would give participants an understanding of appropriate practices around storing and supplying naloxone, and how to support an individual being supplied with the drug. The Assembly should be assured to note that the infrastructure is already in place in Northern Ireland to deal with an expansion in the number of those who can supply naloxone. Since 2012, the Public Health Agency (PHA) has commissioned and operated a take-home naloxone programme. Naloxone was supplied 1,861 times in the financial year 2022-23. Since the take-home naloxone scheme was put in place in 2012, it has successfully reversed an overdose in over 1,765 cases. PHA has mandatory training in opioid overdose awareness, naloxone administration and supplier training, which all naloxone suppliers must complete initially and refresh every two years. In preparation for expansion of the scheme, PHA will transfer that training to an online option to target larger numbers. There are technical amendments in the SI in relation to the transfer of functions following the dissolution of Public Health England in 2020 and the regional Health and Social Care Board here in 2022. In Northern Ireland, as part of our programme of work to transform our health and social care system, the regional HSCB closed on the 31 March 2022, and functions migrated to a newly formed strategic planning and performance group in my Department. Many of PHE's functions have been transferred to the United Kingdom Health Security Agency, an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The proposed amendments will ensure that legislation reflects recent changes in the healthcare systems in England and Northern Ireland. My officials attended the Health Committee on 12 September to outline the full policy intent of the draft SI and to respond to any questions that the Committee might have had prior to its possibly being debated in the Assembly. I am pleased to confirm that the Committee raised no issues on the policy intent. The Committee also indicated that it was content, following further consideration of the regulations, when the SI was laid in draft form at the Northern Ireland Assembly Business Office on 24 September. It is with the Committee's support, therefore, that I bring the SI before the wider Assembly and its Members. I commend the motion to the Assembly.

899 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:13 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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