For $20, Seamus Murphy says he can save someone's life for 24 hours.
The Cochrane District EMS deputy chief’s new harm reduction program allows paramedics to administer Suboxone, a treatment that helps prevent opioid withdrawal symptoms.
The program is the first in the country and only the third in North America.
“(Suboxone) covers the opioid receptors, it keeps the person safe for 24 hours, it gets rid of all the withdrawal symptoms and it does not give a high, so there’s no euphoria involved,” said Murphy. “What it does is it gets them to their normal.”
The local program launched on May 1. So far, Murphy said it’s been successful.
“When we started they said that maybe one in 10 people would continue treatment,” he said. “But so far, it’s been 28 per cent of calls, where they accepted treatment, have gone into long-term treatment.”
Suboxone is delivered through a small film, like a breath strip, that is placed under the tongue. Each dose costs around $20.
“Obviously we want to get people into treatment, but let’s make them safe first,” said Murphy, “This is a medical problem, and you’re not going to stop treating it. People need to understand that.”
Losing his niece to opioid poisoning a year ago shifted his opinions on the subject. It also highlighted the importance of education and quick interventions.
“The thing with my niece was that she was put on Suboxone treatment. She was on that for over a year. She was clean. She had a three-year-old daughter, she was back in university, she had a new job,” he said. “Then she used alone, something triggered her and she used alone, then she was found dead by her father.”
That family loss changed how he sees the opioid crisis.
“I realized that people don’t choose to do drugs, especially opiates,” he said.
While paramedics aren’t officially part of the circle of care, Murphy said they are often the first contact point when someone decides to accept treatment.
“We’re the first step,” he said. “According to the studies in the states, 74 per cent that get Suboxone in the field by paramedics, that accept treatment, stay in the program.”
CDSSAB paramedics are trying to work out a way to close the loop and be a part of the treatment team.
“As soon as we have our transfer of care to the hospital, that’s it, we’re out,” said Murphy. “But we’re trying to change those things as well, so we’re going to work on an agreement between agencies so we can follow up with these patients.”
Stresses in the system during COVID, said Murphy, escalated the opioid crisis.
“What we’re starting to see is that there are more fatalities, year in, year out and the only way we think that we can combat that is to help them into some kind of rehabilitation services," he said.
The community paramedic program is also a naloxone distributor with the Porcupine Health Unit program as well.
They were the first paramedic service in the province to be a naloxone distributor, which started in July 2020. Staff also provide education on the kits.
SEE: Naloxone kits 'saving a life today, changing it for tomorrow'
Murphy said it’s about giving people correct information.
“I don’t try to change opinions, I just try to educate,” he said. “Seventy per cent of opioid users were prescribed it first, that’s a big number and they’re prescribed for pain.”
Murphy said the level of misinformation about the crisis and assumptions that people can make about who is and isn’t using can slow the process of people finding help.
“Less than one per cent of our fatalities are homeless,” he said. “It’s not a homeless problem.”
The program is waiting on provincial approval to get Suboxone onto every ambulance in the service.
Murphy said that this program is all about what is best for the patients, and what will give them the best chance to move forward.
“If we can save one life, one life saved could be a life changed tomorrow,” he said.
