Ontario makes anti-opioid drug Naloxone available without prescription

The Ontario government is making the anti-opioid drug Naloxone available over-the-counter in pharmaciesto help cut down on the number of overdoses across the province.

TheMinistry of Health made the announcement Wednesday in a newsrelease, saying it made the move after theNational Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities(NAPRA)reclassified Naloxonelast Friday, soit can now be used in emergency overdose situations outsidehospitals.

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"The province recognizes that opioid addiction and overdose is a serious public health concern. An overdose of opioid drugs such as fentanyl, morphine, heroin, methadone or oxycodone can cause a person's breathing to slow or stop," the newsrelease said.

"Naloxone is an injectable medication that can reverse this effect so the person can breathe more normally and potentially regain consciousness. This provides precious time to seek emergency medical attention to treat the overdose."

The province's pharmacists can now provide training on how to safely administer the drug andNaloxone will be provided free of charge to "people at risk of an overdose," the release said.

The provincial government is making the move partly to battle an epidemic of overdoses involving the opioid Fentanyl,apotent drug that doctors prescribe forchronic pain.

Between 2005-09, 210 people in Ontario died at least in partas a result offentanyloverdoses, according to an annual report fromthe office of Ontario's chief coroner.

Many recreational drug users take it unknowingly, because it gets mixed withstreet drugs or gets sold as fake OxyContin pills, putting those usersat highrisk of an overdose. It's estimated to be 80 times as powerful as morphine and hundreds of times more powerful than heroin, according to the U.S.Centersfor DiseaseControl and Prevention.