WRH to Offer Fentanyl Test Strips
23-9-2022
The opioid crisis continues to afflict the Windsor-Essex community with an increasing number of visits to our hospital Emergency Departments each year due to overdose or misuse.
In 2021, Windsor Regional Hospital saw 573 emergency visits specifically involving fentanyl - including 346 overdoses. So far in 2022 (January 1 to September 15), the number of visits has hit nearly 300.
For those who don’t know, fentanyl is a powerful pain medication often prescribed to people with long-term, severe pain. When used this way, it can be effective and safe, but if misused it can be extremely dangerous with the potential to cause an overdose or death even in small amounts.
More recently, fentanyl has been discovered mixed in street drugs without the knowledge of the drug user. It’s this situation that has led to the spike in trips to the Emergency Department.
So how can we reduce the risks?
Windsor Regional Hospital is now offering fentanyl test kits to patients before they are discharged from the Emergency Department or Mental Health Assessment Unit. Test strips and detailed instructions will be made available to any patient suspected or confirmed to be a drug user. The test strips will be distributed in a kit that also includes the life-saving drug naloxone used to combat overdoses.
“With an increase in both opioid use and opioid overdoses in the community, WRH is taking a multi-prong approach that includes addiction treatment engagement, education, and harm reduction by way of the fentanyl test kit,” explains Vice President of Emergency and Mental Health Jonathan Foster. “By using these kits, the client is at least made aware of a contaminated product and could choose not to use, therefore, preventing potential overdose.”
“Windsor Regional Hospital is a long-standing partner of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s Naloxone Distribution Program and Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy,” says Eric Nadalin, WECHU’s Director of Public Health Programs and WECOSS Co-Chair. “We commend them on their proactive effort to help address rising rates of overdose by distributing this important tool which identifies potentially deadly additions to the substances being consumed locally.”
More information about the fentanyl test kits can be found HERE.
Those looking to get treatment for substance use are encouraged to visit connexontario.ca or to call 1-866-531-2600 to connect with local resources. For more information on the Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy and local efforts in place to combat rising rates of substance use and overdose visit wecoss.ca.
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health or substance-related crisis, call the local crisis line at 519-973-4435, contact 911, or go to the closest hospital emergency department.