Quebec says community groups can now give naloxone directly to drug users

Naloxone, the opioid overdose antidote, is about to become more accessible to drug users in Quebec.

The provincial government announced Monday that community organizations will now be able to give naloxone directly to drug users, a decision that's being applauded by community workers.

Since last November, Quebecers over the age of 14 have been able to get naloxone from about 1,900 pharmacies.

According to Louis Letellier de St-Just, chairman of CACTUS Montreal, community organizations have been asking to give out naloxone kits for about a year.

"We should have made those decisions earlier than today," he said.

CACTUS Montreal is a community organization that works with intravenous drug users. It operates a safe injection site in downtown Montreal.

The changes mean community organizations will be able to train drug users on the use of naloxone, and give them the drug directly. They will get the supplies from health facilities such as pharmacies.

There are nearly 4,000 injectable drug users in Montreal, health officials say.

Every year, about 70 people die of an overdose — 17 of those are by injectable drugs.

Community organizations will be required to keep an anonymous register of the naloxone kits they hand out.

Once a group gives out 80 per cent of its stock, it will be able to get a refill.

'Living a crisis'

For Letellier de St-Just, the decision is a good one — but the focus should remain on preventive measures in order to tackle what he calls Quebec's opioid crisis.

"I believe that drug users are not going to pharmacies to get their naloxone kit in numbers expected by the government."

He said there are other types of opioid use that should be addressed, such as prescribed opioids.

"We are living a crisis with different elements [than in other parts of the country] and we are not going to compare ourselves. But we do face a crisis in itself here."