A Public Health Emergency?

 That’s what the Canadian government calls it, yet they have known about it for years. Since October 2013 the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) has offered free training and kit supplies to many agencies including Public Health Units throughout the province.

The Ontario Harm Reduction Program established in 2006 started the needle exchange programs but knew more had to be done. As early as 2011 Toronto Public Health started to educate and put forth an application to the Ontario government to make Naloxone an “Over The Counter” drug (OTC).

At the time these programs were started it was believed there were approximately 300 – 400 accidental overdosed in Ontario a year due to opioids such as fentanyl, morphine, heroin, methadone or oxycodone.

Prescriptions for oxycodone alone rose 850% through the 1990’s into the 2000’s. This increased availability has a direct relationship to the doubling ...Read more