Windsor-Essex pharmacies handed out 3 times more naloxone kits in April than March

There were more than 900 naloxone kits handed out by Windsor-Essex pharmacies in April 2019. That's three times more than March 2019. 

Pharmacist Tim Brady said there are a few reasons for the spike — primarily that people are more aware of the issues going on.

"The province, when [naloxone] came out, only covered the injectable. They now cover a nasal spray, simple and easy. You can literally just grab it and squirt it up the nose," said Brady. 

At his pharmacy, Brady sees people from all walks of life come in for a kit. 

"I'm seeing more people come in. It's everybody," said Brady. "You don't know nowadays. So many people are coming in."

Listen to Tim Brady chat with Windsor Morning's Tony Doucette about the spike in naloxone kit distribution:

There's more than one reason — even if your neighbourhood or city is safe, Brady said overdose dangers could be right in your medicine cabinet at home.

"Most kids are exposed to narcotics in their parents' medicine cabinet," said Brady. "Even as a pharmacist, I don't check how many tablets I have left in the cabinet."

Brady said he'd like to see more people carrying kits. 

"You can literally save somebody's life," said Brady. "It won't harm anybody who isn't overdosing on drugs. It just reverses the affects of the opioids."

In the Erie-St. Clair LHIN, there were 2,000 naloxone kits handed out in April 2019. In Ontario, almost 20,000 kits were handed out by pharmacies in April 2019.