Pharmacists and community groups in New Brunswick are calling on the provincial government to cover the cost of naloxone, a drug that saves the lives of people who overdose on opioids, like fentanyl.
With known fentanyl dealers already popping up in parts of the province, experts say the government isn’t moving quickly enough to avert the crisis by making the drug and Naloxone kits available.
AIDS Saint John executive director Julie Dingwell said they “desperately want kits,” but don’t have the funding to be able to buy them.
READ MORE: Edmonton venue adds naloxone to first aid arsenal as Alberta fentanyl crisis persists
“We can get them into the hands of the most experienced people who should have kits, so what we need now is for the government to step up,” Dingwell said.
She said the Gallant government needs to make at least 1,500 kits available to peer helpers across the province.
READ MORE: Cape Breton Police order hundreds of naloxone kits
New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association executive director Paul Blanchard said naloxone should be widely available.
Fredericton Jean Coutu owner and pharmacist Alistair Bursey said the key to moving forward is to have the provincial government cover the cost of the kits.
READ MORE: Halifax police using naloxone to combat fentanyl, opioid exposure
“If we can get this in place in the next couple of months, I think we will be much better prepared than it was out west with the provinces that initially went through the opioid epidemic,” Bursey said.
Bursey applauded the provincial government’s electronic prescription monitoring system, but said there are some undesired impacts which is why making Naloxone kits available would be needed.
READ MORE: N.B. prescription drug monitoring system not efficient: pharmacist
“We’re going to see more people go towards street medication, illicit substances and we suspect that we’re going to see more penetration out east of these fentanyl and these variants on street drugs,” Bursey said.
Blanchard said New Brunswick needs a “system-wide approach” that includes doctors, nurses, dentists and pharmacists, as well as community groups.
“We think naloxone is a part of that solution and we think naloxone in pharmacies is part of that solution,” Blanchard said.
“I think Alberta really got it right because they distributed as much as possible, as far as possible in as many communities using very many stakeholders to get that available,” Bursey said.
In an email statement to Global News, the province’s acting medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russel said the province is consulting with other jurisdictions to see what their experiences have been – and whether they’ve made naloxone available to the public.
Russel also said pharmacies can sell naloxone kits – but it’s not covered by New Brunswick drug plans. She said many first responders have been equipped with the kits.
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