Distribution Program Supports Access to Naloxone

Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) is the first hospital in Simcoe Muskoka to dispense naloxone kits from our Emergency Departments to patients presenting with an opioid crisis.

With opioid overdose cases on the rise throughout the province, including across North Simcoe and Muskoka, MAHC joined the Ontario Naloxone Program in partnership with public health to support better access to the overdose reversal drug.

“We are glad to participate in intervention strategies that strengthen the response to opioid misuse and potential overdose for opioid-related Emergency Department visits,” says Chief Executive Officer Natalie Bubela. “The program is part of the Ontario government’s plan to make lifesaving naloxone available free of charge in hundreds of towns and cities.”

The distribution program provides take-home kits for patients who are at significant risk of overdose or suffer from high-risk opiate dependencies. When a kit is dispensed by MAHC staff, they also demonstrate how to administer the drug safely, and educate patients and family in identifying the signs and symptoms of overdose and calling 911.

Earlier this year, Emergency Department staff at both MAHC sites was trained by a Public Health Nurse from the Substance Use and Injury Prevention Program at the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU), allowing MAHC the ability to support patients in avoiding future overdose through this valuable program.

“We have always administered Naloxone to patients who come to the Emergency Department for treatment during an overdose,” explains Dr. John Simpson, Emergency Dept. Medical Director. “Now we can also support these patients at risk of re-overdose to avoid future overdose after they leave the hospital. The take-home kits buy them some time to call 9-1-1 for professional emergency medical treatment. It’s about giving them what they need to survive the next potential overdose.”

“We are very pleased to have MAHC come onto the Ontario Naloxone Program, to ensure people leaving the hospital have the lifesaving medication necessary to respond to an opioid overdose in the community,” adds Dr. Lisa Simon, Associate Medical Officer of Health with SMDHU.

In the first six weeks of the program, MAHC dispensed a handful of kits from each site. There are also pharmacies and SMDHU offices across the region where community can access the lifesaving opioid antidote free of charge.