Pubdate: Sat, 21 Nov 2015
Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Copyright: 2015 The StarPhoenix
Contact: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400
Author: Janet French
Page: A10

LIFE-SAVING NALOXONE KITS HIT THE STREETS

Potentially life-saving kits that can halt a drug overdose are
available in Saskatoon through a new pilot project.

Satchels containing two doses of the drug naloxone are available at
Mayfair Drugs to people who use opiates such as fentanyl, morphine,
heroin, methadone and oxycodone, the Saskatoon Health Region announced
Friday.

"It's one of those programs you hope you never have to use," said
Brenda McAllister, the region's methadone program manager.

Close friends and family of people with addictions and people who work
in community-based organizations may also qualify for the kits,
addictions specialist Dr. Peter Butt said. People suffering an
overdose can't inject themselves.

"We want to get these kits into the hands of people who are associates
of users," Butt said.

At last count, 56 Saskatchewan people have died from unintentional
opioid overdoses in 2015. Ten of them had taken the potent painkiller
fentanyl, which is potentially deadly in larger doses.

Too-large doses of opiates can suppress breathing, potentially leading
to brain damage and death. Naloxone, the antidote, binds powerfully to
opioid receptors in the brain, temporarily reversing the overdose.
It's important witnesses call an ambulance even after doling out a
shot of naloxone in case the overdose symptoms return, Butt said.

People request the kits by calling the Mayfair clinic at (306)
6554007, to make an appointment with an addictions counsellor. Future
kit owners need about half an hour of training to understand how to
recognize the signs of an overdose, understand what the kit does and
know what steps to take when they suspect someone has overdosed.

A nurse practitioner will write a prescription for the kit, which
people can fill at Mayfair Drugs on 33rd Street West.

The provincial health ministry covers the cost of the kits, which are
about $30 plus a dispensing fee. The cost is a pittance compared to
admitting a patient to the intensive care unit, or the price of a
funeral, Butt said.

Several grieving families have called for the provincial government to
step forward with potential solutions for overdose deaths.

There's evidence to back up the effectiveness of making naloxone kits
available, Butt said. Similar programs exist already in B.C. and Alberta.

The health region will attempt to track when and where the kits are
used, Butt said, to garner information on how best to expand the
program. The aim is to make the kits available across
Saskatchewan.

Naloxone can't cause any harm if the person having an overdose has
taken a non-opiate such as cocaine or crystal meth, Butt said.

Illegal drug users shouldn't fear the counsellors, nurses and
pharmacists running the program. They're trying to help, not report
them to police, Butt said.

Staff from AIDS Saskatoon may be interested in getting the training
and obtaining a kit, said Stephanie Norris, communications and
volunteer co-ordinator at the organization. The group's 601 outreach
centre offers needle exchange, counselling, meals and laundry.

Many injection drug users are addicted to cocaine and crystal meth,
she said, which wouldn't respond to the naloxone kit. Heroin use is
also a concern, she said.

"We're really happy that it's there, and we'll definitely help people
connect with that service," Norris said.
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MAP posted-by: Matt