Health Canada reschedules naloxone, makes it available without prescription

OTTOWA — Pharmacies in Canada can now dispense naloxone to patients without a prescription. Health Canada announced earlier this week that it had revised the Federal Prescription Drug use and reclassified naloxone as a Schedule II drug. 

 

“This is a timely, sensible and effective intervention that will help save lives,” Health Canada’s health minister Jane Philpott said. “Our government remains committed to working with provinces and territories, First Nations leadership and other stakeholders to reduce opioid abuse right across Canada. With respect to the changes in British Columbia, I am happy that we share a common goal in reducing the harms associated with opioid abuse."       

 

The Canadian Pharmacists Association welcomed the move. 

 

“Pharmacists have an important role to play in mitigating opioid misuse,” CPhA chair Carlo Berardi said.  “As trusted professionals, pharmacists serve as important sources of information to heighten awareness as to the risks of high potency opioids, as well as to the inherent addiction risks of these medications. Many pharmacists across Canada provide addiction management services, and as a result have the potential to interact with those most at risk of overdose.”

 

The treatment is currently only available as an ampule to be used with a syringe without a prescription, though different formats could become available later. Health Canada, in its statement, noted that it received comments about more user-friendly versions of naloxone and the risks of inexperienced people administering the injection. 

 

“These risks were taken into account in Health Canada's assessment, which concluded the benefit of having naloxone, even in the injectable form, available as soon as a potential overdose is observed outweighed the risks,” the agency said. “Health Canada cannot stress enough of the importance of appropriate training of potential administrators of the drug before distribution.”

 

According to the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia, it is planning educational sessions in April for pharmacy professionals, for which about 600 people have registered.