The life-saving overdose drug naloxone should be included on prescriptions for powerful painkillers, NSW researchers say, as fatal overdose rates threaten to exceed the national road toll.

Key points: Prescription medications caused most drug-related deaths in 2014, research shows

Prescription medications caused most drug-related deaths in 2014, research shows Experts say doctors "not familiar" with how to prescribe naxolone

Experts say doctors "not familiar" with how to prescribe naxolone Calls for overdose-reversal drug to be included in prescriptions for strong painkillers

Figures released this week by the Penington Institute show prescription medications caused most drug-related deaths in 2014, while illicit drugs were only responsible for 21 per cent.

The overdose reversal treatment, naloxone, has been available for decades — and more recently through some dedicated drug and alcohol programs, as well as over the counter without a prescription.

But experts say the drug is still not getting to those who need it.

Professor Nick Lintzeris, an addiction medicine specialist, received New South Wales Government funding to investigate how to spread the use of naloxone.

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He said the main problem was that most doctors were not familiar with how to prescribe the drug.

"Most patients don't know how to ask their doctors for it," Professor Lintzeris said.

"And if patients were to approach community pharmacies, most pharmacists likewise are unfamiliar with take-home naloxone provision, or the cost of it would be prohibitive to some patients."

He said the project would be looking at distribution via needle and syringe programs, and drug and alcohol treatment services, which could mean authorising people other than doctors or pharmacists to dispense the drug.

Professor Lintzeris said in time, naloxone should be prescribed by GPs to any patient receiving prescription painkillers.

"With this very simple approach, families, carers loved ones can actually save the life of someone who has accidentally overdosed on prescription opioid medication," he said.

'Going from death's door to having colour back in their face'

Drug access advocate Megan Stapleton said she had witnessed overdoses and knew what it was like to see someone die because an ambulance failed to reach them on time.

"You're standing there seeing someone going blue and slipping closer and closer to death and you feel so completely helpless," she said.

She is now a passionate advocate for access to naloxone and works as a peer link coordinator at the NSW Users and AIDS Association (NUAA).

"I have seen with my own eyes naloxone reversals, it is instant," Ms Stapleton said.

"Somebody goes from being on death's door, blue and not breathing to having colour back in their face and breathing within a matter of seconds or minutes— it's phenomenal."

She said she would like to be able to distribute naloxone take-home packs through NUAA's dedicated naloxone programs, without having to arrange a doctor to be available when the programs are run to prescribe the treatment.

"The best way to get naloxone where it's needed and reduce overdose deaths and other negative outcomes of overdose is to get naloxone where it's needed, and that's in the hands of people who use drugs," she said.

"The best way to do that is by naloxone being able to be peer-distributed and distributed through needle-and-syringe programs.

"If we could do that, without having to have pharmacists or doctors prescribe it, then we would massively be able to increase naloxone access very quickly and cost effectively."