Harm Reduction

Harm reduction is a proven public health approach that reduces the adverse health, social, and economic outcomes related to a variety of risk-associated activities. HSC sees many patients seeking help related to substance use and clinical teams have been looking for improved ways to support the health and safety of this population. 

As part of Health Sciences Centre’s harm reduction strategy, Naloxone take-home kits are now available to patients and their families in the adult emergency department, women’s obstetrical triage, ambulatory care clinic and the PsychHealth Centre.

Naloxone is an easy-to-use, life-saving medication that can reverse overdose or poisoning caused by opioids drugs, including fentanyl, heroin, morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, codeine and “down” (a mixture of heroin and fentanyl).

We’re proud to be rolling out this first phase of our harm reduction strategy and hopes that it helps our patients and also our staff who can now offer one more tool to individuals who use drugs.

For information about naloxone please see the links below:

• How to Respond to Opioid Toxicity
• Naloxone Wakes You Up (Video) – Video on what naloxone is and how to use it (6:29 min)
• How to use Naloxone (Video) – Explains how to use naloxone, and the SAVE ME steps (3:21 min)

If you have received a naloxone kit from a health care provider, please complete this survey to help inform our future rollouts and harm reduction initiatives.