Increasing Naloxone Access to Save Lives
Written by Comms Team, June 28, 2021
New Local Partnership Will Ensure Naloxone is Within Reach 24/7
Peterborough Public Health and the Peterborough County-City Paramedics have joined forces to expand access to the life-saving medication naloxone.
As members of the Peterborough Overdose Prevention Program, local paramedics attending 911 calls in the City and County can now provide patients and patients’ friends and family members with overdose prevention education and free naloxone kits.
“Paramedics serve our communities around the clock, 365 days per year,” said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health. “This partnership will help to ensure that naloxone is available when and where it is needed most.”
Dr. Salvaterra added that across Canada, the rate of opioid-related death has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Naloxone is one part of a comprehensive response to the harms associated with opioids, and increasing access to this medication is critical to saving lives,” she stated.
According to data collected by Peterborough Public Health, local paramedics responded to 62 suspected opioid poisonings between January 1, 2021 and March 31, 2021, a 26% increase over the same period the previous year. As of June 3, 2021 there have been 24 suspected drug-related deaths in Peterborough City and County this year.
“As opioid deaths continue to mount, there is a clear need for strategies that will maximize the likelihood that naloxone will be on hand at the right time to reverse an overdose,” said Randy Mellow, Chief of Peterborough County-City Paramedics. “We are committed to doing everything we can to contribute to the collaborative response to one of the biggest public health threats facing Canada.”
Naloxone is a safe and highly effective medication that can temporarily reverse the effect of an opioid overdose, allowing more time for a person to seek medical care. Through the Peterborough Overdose Prevention Program, any person who uses opioids, currently or in the past, as well as their friends and family members are eligible to receive free naloxone and training on how to administer it through participating community sites.
As of June 2021, there are 15 community sites where naloxone can be accessed in Peterborough City and County, in addition to participating local pharmacies. The full list of access points for naloxone can be found online at www.ontario.ca/page/where-get-free-naloxone-kit.
More information about naloxone and opioids may be found on the Peterborough Drug Strategy website at peterboroughdrugstrategy.com/overdose-prevention/.
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For further information, please contact:
Brittany Cadence
Communications Manager
Peterborough Public Health
705-743-1000, ext. 391
OR
Craig Jones, CMM III EMP & OAPC Exec
Commander, Emergency Management & Operational Support
Peterborough County/City Paramedics
705-743-5263, ext. 4140