Health Sciences North ramps up harm reduction strategy amid overdose crisis

Team members of Health Sciences North's Crisis Outpatient Program are taking to the streets of Greater Sudbury in an effort to combat the northern Ontario region's growing opioid crisis. 

They're walking around the city and educating people on how to administer naloxone, a drug that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, and by handing out free naloxone kits.

"They do the outreach and actually meet our addictions patients on the streets where they're at and where they're most vulnerable," said Adele Bodson, the interim education and quality lead for addiction services at HSN in Sudbury. 

Distributing naloxone kits here sets them up for a community response.- Adele Bodson, interim education and quality lead for Addiction Services at Health Sciences North in Sudbury

The outreach effort comes as recent data from Ontario's Office of the Chief Coroner revealed Public Health Sudbury and Districts had an opioid death rate of 52.9 per 100,000 people from April 2021 to March 2022.

In Ontario, the region's opioid death rate was second only to Thunder Bay, which had an opioid death rate of 82.1 per 100,000 people in the same period.

Increase in kits distributed

In 2020, Public Health Sudbury and Districts gave out 6,815 naloxone doses, according to the public health website. 

The distribution of doses increased by 106 per cent in 2021 as the number rose to 14,079.

For the current year, Bodson believes "we are moving toward an increase" because of the education and awareness to staff that's assisting in the education and outreach efforts. 

"Having outreach workers being face to face and in areas where the patients are comfortable can increase the uptake." 

Setting patients up for success

Bodson noted that the Crisis Outpatient Program's outreach efforts are only one part of HSN's Mental Health and Addictions Program to bring more naloxone kits to those most at risk.

"There is a two-portion to it," Bodson said, "The outreach is definitely one, but HSN's efforts internally also highly impacts the community".

Before discharging overdose patients from the hospital, HSN also provides outgoing patients with the information on naloxone administration and free naloxone kits. 

"Distributing naloxone kits here sets them up for a community response," Bodson said, "And hopefully not succumb to a death-related overdose."

Bodson said the toxic drug supply — opioids laced with synthetics — has led to "a massive need for a program like this in the community."