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Patients at Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region’s methadone clinics now have access to take-home overdose kits.
The naloxone kits rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose before a person gets medical help.
The kits will be available starting July 4. Patients and their family members will be trained on recognizing the signs of an overdose and how to safely administer the naloxone.
The program’s Ken Akan believes this will help them keep track of their most-vulnerable patients.
“We would have an understanding and tracking and be able to (say), ‘OK, have you used the kits? Has it been used?’ And then provide supports if that should happen,” Akan explained.
The health region’s nurse consultant Paul Hodson believes this will help the user not make their addiction worse.
“It can give them control over their addiction and hopefully save lives,” Hodson maintained.
Naloxone kits were first used in Saskatoon before expanding to Regina and eventually other health regions.
The $50,000 cost is covered by the Ministry of Health.
