Fredericton homeless shelters to have fentanyl blocker on site

In an effort to guard against the high number of overdose deaths from fentanyl being seen in other provinces, the Fredericton Homeless Shelter received training in a drug designed to block some of fentanyl's effect.

The drug is called naloxone and when administered after an opioid drug overdose it can save a person's life.

Warren Maddox, the executive director of the shelter, said while fentanyl isn't as big of a problem in New Brunswick as it has been on the west coast, it's still important for workers at the shelter to be able to administer naloxone.

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"We're in sort of the front lines of individuals that deal with addictions and it was really sort of incumbent upon us to take precautions in terms of if the fentanyl does move eastward," said Maddox.

Naloxone works by blocking the receptors in the brain opioids connect to. It is administered by needle into the thigh muscle. It can be given through clothing, similar to an epipen. Depending on how much of an opioid drug has been taken, multiple doses of naloxone may be required.

Fentanyl has been involved in at least 32 deaths in the Maritimes.

Joan Kingston, the UNB faculty nursing manager at the Fredericton Downtown Clinic who led the training, said the kit is designed so people without medical expertise can still administer naloxone.

"It's not difficult [to administer]. The drug itself is in a glass ampule ... There's just the right amount of [the drug] in the bottle for what you need for a single dose," said Kingston.

Maddox said there will be a kit at both the men's shelter and Grace House, a facility for women. While fentanyl isn't a huge problem at present in Fredericton, opioid drug use is a factor with some residents of the two shelters, said Maddox.

"Certainly with us I think the opioid of choice within the Fredericton region is still Dilaudid or OxyContin, but those are both susceptible to individuals if they decide to mix fentanyl with that," said Maddox.

Kingston said western provinces are moving towards allowing people who have family members who are opioid drug users to have access to naloxone and suspects more provinces will be moving in that direction.