Northern Ont. paramedics first in Canada to offer opioid withdrawal treatment

Paramedic tells the story of losing his niece Cochrane’s deputy chief paramedic shares how his niece's death lead to him make changes in his both personal & professional life.

Every paramedic in the Cochrane District is trained and ready to offer an opioid withdrawal treatment called buprenorphine-naloxone, known more commonly by the brand-name drug Suboxone.

The drug offers relief to overdose patients revived with naloxone — a treatment that expels all opioids from a patient’s system, but has serious side-effects.

After the treatment, they experience severe withdrawal, irritability, makes them unlikely to want addictions treatment and more likely to use again and potentially die.

Suboxone relieves opioid cravings, protects patients from overdosing and can help them choose to seek further help.

“We can now offer that first step of safe treatment, right in the field,” said Cochrane District EMS (CDEMS) deputy chief Seamus Murphy.

“There’s a 74 per cent success rate, for those individuals that choose to accept the buprenorphine-naloxone treatment.”

Inspired by similar programs in the U.S., early stats in the district show about one in six patients are opting to take Suboxone, Murphy said.

He said roughly a third of those went on to seek long-term addictions treatment.

Murphy’s team is the first in the country to offer the treatment and he said it’s an essential tool in battling the opioid crisis.

“Our fatality rates are increasing,” he said.

“We’re already at 13 per cent this year, with our opiate overdose calls. So, we’re trying to help as many people as we can.”

Ontario’s Ministry of Health gave the all-clear for paramedic services province-wide to offer Suboxone earlier this month.

The ministry told us in an emailed statement that it is “providing paramedics across the province with the necessary resources and tools they need to respond to opioid-related incidents.”

“We also want to acknowledge Cochrane District EMS, whose innovation made them the first in Canada to be administering Suboxone,” the statement read.

Paramedics tested the program in May, before its province-wide approval.

'IT'S A GAME-CHANGER'

Murphy said paramedic services have been reaching out to him frequently, expressing interest in the program -- including three on the morning of our interview.

He offers them education on the benefits of the drug, training on how to handle it and is working with the Ontario Base Hospitals group to roll out training to any interested EMS.

Toronto Paramedic Services told us in an email that it is “currently evaluating buprenorphine use by paramedics.”

“We are committed to providing evidence-based paramedic care and appreciate the opportunity to review therapies as they become available,” said media superintendent Dineen Robinson.

Murphy wants to see Suboxone on every active ambulance in Ontario, saying street drug supplies are tainted and people will need immediate help.

“It’s a game-changer,” he said, adding that paramedics are adding more tools to their anti-opioid arsenal than ever before.

“We have to take it to the people that need it, we can’t expect people to come to us anymore."