Amid steadily growing public concern surrounding fatal overdoses involving fentanyl, Health Canada has proposed making naloxone, an antidote to opiates and opioids, more widely available.
Right now, naloxone is a prescription only drug, but health care practitioners, families of victims, and front-line workers have been asking for years for it to be easier to access.
Following a review of its prescription status, Health Canada is proposing that the non-perscription use of naloxone, specifically for “emergency use for opioid overdose outside hospital settings” be allowed. The change would come with revisions to the product label and require training for anyone who might be administering naloxone, which temporarily reverses the effects of opioids.
Some provinces and cities, like Ontario and Alberta, have already made naloxone more accessible by handing out kits to current and former opiate users and their families, and training them how to administer it during an overdose. In many parts of the country, however, the drug has only been available to first responders. For the full article click here
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