Police officers in Northamptonshire are being trained to use Naloxone as part of a trial that has seen forces across the East Midlands carrying the medicine on their beats to help people who have suffered a drug overdose. 

Northamptonshire Police said neighbourhood officers in Northampton, Wellingborough and Kettering are carrying the spray with them as part of Operation Revive “having been trained and certified in its use.”

Naloxone is a prescription-only medicine that reverses an overdose caused by heroin and other opiates or opioids such as methadone, morphine and fentanyl.

Northamptonshire Police insisted more officers will soon receive “specialised training” to carry the medicine with them on their beat but stressed individuals can choose whether or not to sign up to the scheme.

It also said it was voluntary for any officer to carry the spray and insisted anyone who takes part will receive full training.

The force said it is working with the UK Health Security Agency and the charity Change Grow Live to roll out the initiative.

Northamptonshire Police did not say if pharmacists or other healthcare professionals were providing the training but a spokesperson told Independent Community Pharmacist: “We are working with various partners on this pilot, including the charities Change Grow Live and Substance to Solution, who have delivered the initial training sessions to our officers. If the pilot is successful, we will look to build the Nalaxone training into our ongoing officer first aid training.”

Detective Superintendent Steve Watkins, who is leading the project, said officers were coming across increasing numbers of drug overdose victims and blamed “the proliferation in the use of highly dangerous synthetic drugs.”

“Naloxone gives frontline officers an opportunity to administer a vital lifeline to users who have overdosed on heroin or heroin cut with synthetic drugs,” he said.

“We’re training a number of our frontline officers to use the spray, which can be used to counteract the effects of the overdose and prevent a person from dying, pending emergency medical support from ambulance.

“The spray is already being used by ambulance crews and other partners in the county, with the move to equip our police officers with the spray providing further opportunities to prevent drug-related deaths from synthetic opioids.”