The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) aims to widely distribute naloxone kits, a medication that can counter the effects of an opioid overdose, across Ontario to combat the growing impacts of the opioid crisis.
Objective
Our study aimed to measure the uptake of naloxone kits through both the pharmacy- and community-based programs in Ontario and to assess if distribution benchmarks were achieved.
Methods
We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional analysis to describe the distribution of naloxone kits across the province between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. We received naloxone distribution numbers through the ONP for each PHU from the Ontario MOHLTC. We determined the total number of naloxone kits dispensed at community pharmacies through the ONPP from the Ontario Drug Benefit database at ICES.
Results
There were 147,303 naloxone kits distributed across Ontario between July 2017 and June 2018, equating to approximately 1 naloxone kit for every 100 Ontarians. Provincially, nearly two-thirds of naloxone kits (62%; N=91,456) were dispensed from pharmacies through the ONPP.
Conclusion
The presented benchmarks highlight evidence of varied access across the province, suggesting opportunities for further expansion of naloxone distribution in some jurisdictions. These communities should develop strategies to improve naloxone access that meets their specific challenges and resources, leveraging both the ONP and ONPP to meet these needs.
Ontario Drug Policy Research Network. Naloxone distribution across Ontario. June 2019. Available at: https://odprn.ca/research/publications/naloxone-distribution-across-ontario/.
