Evaluation of an online postal take-home naloxone service

New South Wales User AIDS Association established a pilot postal take-home naloxone (THN) service to enhance access to THN for people unable or unwilling to attend existing services providing THN (e.g., community pharmacies, needle syringe programs). The service included online registration, educational video and assessment of consumer knowledge regarding THN.

The evaluation examined the first 10 months of operation (May 2022 to March 2023) and examined service utilisation, the characteristics, motivations and experiences of consumers using the service. The evaluation included service utilisation data, structured online questionnaire and semi-structured telephone interviews.

Two hundred forty-five individuals registered on the online platform, 222 commenced the course, 170 completed viewing the online educational video and commenced the knowledge assessment, and 95 completed the course and ordered 194 THN packs (59% intranasal, 41% intramuscular). Forty-eight percent of service users were women, and 37% were from regional or rural locations. Key motivations for using the postal service included greater accessibility and convenience (especially for regional and rural participants), greater confidentiality and reduced stigma. There were high levels of satisfaction with the service from consumers, and high levels of confidence that they could respond to a suspected overdose.

The postal service enhanced access to THN, addressing many of the barriers of existing face-to-face services, including geography, convenience, stigma and confidentiality. The postal THN service meets the needs of particular groups of consumers who may otherwise not have accessed THN, and forms an important piece of the puzzle for THN distribution in the community.