Take-home naloxone kits now available at 9 sites in Manitoba

Naloxone kits are now available to take home at nine locations across the province to help people reverse the deadly effects of opioid overdoses.

"Making naloxone kits available across the province won't stop the opioids crisis, but it will save lives and help prevent overdoses," said Manitoba Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen in a news release.

The drug works by blocking effects of opioids like fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone and carfentanil. The kits will be available to people in Manitoba for free.

• Fentanyl deaths have nearly doubled in Manitoba over 2 years
• More naloxone and better data: Manitoba responds to opioid crisis

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's Street Connections first began distributing naloxone in 2016. From January to December, 245 kits were distributed and 31 overdoses were reversed, the province said.

Winnipeg fire trucks now carry naloxone and Winnipeg police said they are planning to begin to carry the potentially live-saving drug.

Widening the availability of naloxone is part of a broader effort to deal with an increasing number of fentanyl overdose deaths in Manitoba.

Along with making the overdose reversal drug more accessible, in November Goertzen announced a fentanyl awareness campaign and better data collection on overdoses.

• Manitoba confirms at least 24 opioid-related deaths in 2016

Overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the province and a preliminary count in November showed opioids were related to 24 deaths in 2016. 

Fentanyl was found in the system of at least nine people who died last year. The total number of opiod-related deaths is expected to rise when the final count is complete later this year.

Naloxone and training on how to administer the drug will be available at the nine distribution locations. The drug works best if it is administered within minutes of an overdose.

Naloxone pick-up locations include:

• Main Street Project, 75 Martha St., Winnipeg. Kits will be available through the shelter for clients.
• Nine Circles Community Health Centre, 705 Broadway, Winnipeg.
• Street Connections, Main Floor, 496 Hargrave St., Winnipeg.
• The Pas Primary Health Care, 111 Cook Ave., The Pas.
• Gillam Public Health, 115 Gillam Dr., Gillam.
• Thompson Public Health, 867 Thompson Dr. South, Thompson.
• Flin Flon Primary Health Care, 1 North Ave., Flin Flon.
• Selkirk Community Health Office, Selkirk Public Health, 237 Manitoba Ave., Selkirk.
• Nations-First Pharmacy, 102-19 Pine St., Pine Falls.