SASKATOON – A naloxone kit may only be two inches wide by four inches long, but its contents save lives. Inside is an antidote that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose from drugs like fentanyl, heroin and oxycodone.
“In terms of opioid use, what we’re seeing is a continued gradual increase, particularly last year in 2015, of fentanyl and fentanyl related deaths,” said addiction specialist Dr. Peter Butt.
Fentanyl and the take-home nalaxone kits were hot topics at the 2nd Annual Opioid Substitution Therapy conference held in Saskatoon over the weekend.
READ MORE: New pilot project launched in Sask. for Take-Home Naloxone kits
Butt is an addiction specialist and says fentanyl use is a trend that’s moving west to Saskatchewan and that the province needs to prepare with easier access to kits and more training.
“Get these in the hands of not only the people who are using the opioids, but family members and associates, because if a person is in the midst of an opioid overdose they’re often unconscious and aren’t able to self medicate,” said Butt.
There are restrictions to who can get the kits, which have been available since November. Butt said Health Canada originally only gave kits to opioid users in order to establish a connection and facilitate help.
Now those rules are changing.
- ‘Summer of discontent’ coming over public service in-office order: unions
- Panera to remove ‘Charged Sips’ drink from Canada amid wrongful death lawsuits
- Minister Boissonnault to testify before ethics committee over ties to lobbyist, PPE company
- Family says infant killed in 401 crash leaves a ‘void that can never be filled’
“Now Health Canada has backed off from some of that hard line approach and has increasingly taken naloxone from a controlled substance to something that is prescribed. Now the recommendation is to make it over the counter, un-prescribed,” said Butt.
READ MORE: Opioid overdose antidote may be available prescription-free by spring
However, just having the kit available to the public isn’t enough. A certain level of training goes into administering the antidote.
Robyn Fox-Oka is an executive director at a healing lodge in Alberta and knows first hand the importance of training.
“I think initially it’s a little bit scary and a little intimidating. But, with the doctors help and the facilitators they’re able to go through step by step what needs to happen in an emergency situation,” said Fox-Oka.
She hopes others go through training and the kits become more readily available in the community because each one has the potential to save a life.
Comments