Evaluation of overdose prevention measures in prison care
As part of the national overdose strategy (2014-2017) under the auspices of the Norwegian Directorate of Health, the Prison and Probation Service is implementing a project to reduce the risk of overdose after release from prison. The purpose of the project is to increase knowledge and improve the practice of reentry, so that overdose deaths can be prevented. The Norwegian Prison and Probation Service's college and education center KRUS conducts training based on the prison departments learning networks.
Will the measures save lives? In order to be able to answer whether the measures will save lives, SERAF and KRUS established a collaborative project in January 2019. To evaluate the measures, we have designed an electronic questionnaire that the participant can answer themselves. The study will eventually use data from two different sources: data from questionnaires and national register data. Participants who agree to participate in the study, and who provide their social security number, will be followed up prospectively with data obtained from national registers with measures of mortality and treatment status. In addition to providing updated information about the measures, the survey will provide important information about post-release life for this vulnerable group.
The project includes Nalokson nasal spray for inmates, and the prisons thus work closely with SERAF and the Naloxone project . Naloxone is an opioid antidote and can reverse an opioid overdose potentially saving lives.