Province makes access to naloxone kits easier in effort to combat fentanyl
Posted May 11, 2016 3:03 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The province is upping its response to battle the number of Albertans dying from fenatanyl overdoses.
As of this Friday, Albertans will be able to get take-home naloxone kits free-of-charge from community pharmacies without a prescription.
Associate Minister of Health Brandy Payne said dozens have died from overdoses already in 2016.
“Sadly fentanyl continues to be a serious problem in our province and it continues to take lives,” Payne stated. “Fentanyl was a factor in the deaths of 69 Albertans in the first three months of this year. These are people’s sons and daugthers, friends, coworkers and loved ones from all walks of life.”
Payne said at least 120 lives have been saved in the province due to naloxone kits, but those are only documented cases and she expects many more have been saved that the province doesn’t know about.
“To date, more than 2,000 naloxone kits have been provided to Albertans who are at risk of overdosing.”
Last year, 272 Albertans died of fentanyl overdoes, 90 of them in Calgary.
