Photo Courtesy Bob Schneider

By Gates Guarin

‘Saving their life’: Naloxone kits are easy to use, readily available for community

Sep 9, 2022 | 4:14 PM

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.

“There’s also accidental overdoses with people who are not abusers,” Bueckert says. “So if somebody is using some high-potency or high dose narcotic, it does not hurt to have one in the home. It’s actually a good idea.”

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The Naloxone drug itself works on narcotics such as fentanyl or heroin, and Bueckert says kits are always available at any local pharmacy. He estimates his pharmacy gives out close to 10 kits a week.

“They’re put out into the community to protect the community,” says Bueckert. “Nobody should feel shy or embarrassed or anything else. Basically, they’re there because they’re necessary and they’re provided free of charge so that we can improve the community atmosphere.”

But what if you’ve never handled a kit before?

Bueckert says the process is an easy one. You simply pop the cap off of the vial, insert the syringe, draw out the drug and plunge it into the side of the thigh. The process is similar to that of administering an EpiPen. The kits will also not harm individuals if injected without an actual overdose taking place.

“Nothing to be afraid of, there’s no harm [that] can be done,” Bueckert says. “You’re not going into veins, you’re going into muscle; not going to harm anything. There’s no side effects.”

“The best thing that can happen is you block the narcotic that’s causing the problem, the worst thing that can happen is nothing happens, because it could be a heart attack, it could be something else.” He adds.

Nobody should feel shy or embarrassed or anything else. _{-Greg Bueckert, Pharmacist}

You should always call 911 before administering the kit. Bueckert says there are still some things that need to occur once the shot has been administered. He says to roll the individual onto their side (known as the recovery position) to prevent choking, and then to take a step back. Naloxone puts the individual into withdrawal, which could result in symptoms like aggressive behaviour.

Even if you have limited experience with needles, Bueckert says using the kit could make all the difference.

“If you’re coming across somebody that has overdosed, you have to remember you’re saving their life,” says Bueckert. “So don’t worry about fumbling, don’t worry about dropping or anything like that, just get the drug into the syringe and into the leg, that’s all you have to remember.”