Interior Health is making the opioid use disorder medication Suboxone widely available in hospital emergency departments.
In a release from Interior Health, they said that opioid use disorder (OUD) is a treatable medical condition. People who do live with OUD don’t have a regular care provider who can help connect them to medication.
“We have implemented across Interior Health region in 20 emergency departments out of 30.” says Corinne Dolman, Manager of Substance Use Services at Interior Health.
“That does include Kamloops, Merritt, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Salmon Arm, Revelstoke and Lillooet.”
All sites will be included by September this year.
This project also includes Suboxone “to-go-packs” to start patients at home, with a new urgent referral process to connect people to ongoing Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) in the community.
The Suboxone availability has decreased barriers to accessing OAT in communities by providing front-line nurses and physicians with training to prescribe the treatment. It also helps with educating patients on how to start it themselves at home.
For more information on OAT, you can visit the Interior Health website here.