‘Saving their life’: Naloxone kits are easy to use, readily available for community
MEDICINE HAT, AB – According to the Alberta government, 51 people in Medicine Hat lost their lives to opioids from May 2020 until June of this year. Across the province, an average of 52 opioid-related deaths were recorded in 2019, just prior to the pandemic. In 2021, that number jumped to 135 deaths on average, an increase of 158 per cent.
These drug-related deaths are preventable, with the use of a Naloxone kit being a viable option to stop overdoses.
Local pharmacists, like Greg Bueckert of Greg’s Remedy Drugs, recommend kits be readily available at community sites where opioid overdoses are likely to occur. He also recommends kits be stored at home or where first aid kits are located as well, as overdoses are not limited to consistent users.