Fentanyl crisis causing deaths in Sask; P.A. largely unaffected

Health experts from across the country met in Ottawa last week for a two-day summit on opioid and fentanyl use in Canada. Yet despite increased national attention, fentanyl has not become as widespread in Prince Albert as other parts of Saskatchewan.

Opioids are pain-relieving drugs derived from opium or synthetic compounds. Morphine and heroine are well-known opioids, but recently fentanyl has been given public attention due to the growing number of overdoses involving the drug.

In British Columbia the fentanyl crisis is dire. There were 332 fentanyl involved overdose deaths between January and September of 2016, according to numbers released by B.C.’s Coroners Service.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark was in attendance at the summit, and called for additional RCMP resources, a ban on pill presses used to manufacture fentanyl tablets and increased diplomatic efforts to prevent international trafficking of opioids from China.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab represented Saskatchewan at the summit, which he called “timely and important.”

SIGA

SIGA and Northern Lights Casino main sponsors of the 31st PAGC Fine Arts Festival

7h ago

Workplace incident

City of Prince Albert pleads guilty to workplace safety violation, handed fines

9h ago

Lighting it up

P.A.'s Zablocki leads Regina to victory on Day 4 at Esso Cup

Apr 24, 2024

“In the last couple of years, all provinces, especially the Western provinces, have been concerned about fentanyl impact,” Shahab said. “Historically our concerns have been with many other drugs, for example cocaine and methamphetamines.”

Saskatchewan has the highest rate of opioid hospitalizations in Canada according to figures released this month by the Canadian Institute for Health Information and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.

Saskatchewan had 20.5 opioid-related hospitalizations per 100,000 people in 2014-15, according to the report. The second-highest rate was found in B.C. with 19.1 hospitalizations per 100,000 people. Quebec had the lowest rate, with 9.7.

Fentanyl-related deaths doubled in Saskatchewan between 2014 and 2015 according to data provided by the Office of the Chief Coroner. The drug was responsible for 22 deaths in the province, but just one death in Prince Albert last year where fentanyl was sold as OxyContin, a commonly-abused prescription painkiller.

“Saskatchewan has seen an increase in hospitalizations due to opioid overdose,” Shahab said, noting the Ministry of Health will be examining the data closely looking for root causes.

Despite rising numbers in Saskatchewan, the local health region said fentanyl is not impacting P.A. to the same extent as other urban centres.

“The drugs that are causing the most issue for us here in Prince Albert are alcohol and crystal meth,” Dori Gaudet, regional director of community services with the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region said.

Gaudet said opioids are present in P.A., but hospitalization and death rates have not risen to the levels seen in other areas. Despite the minimal fentanyl presence in P.A., Gaudet said her office has been watching the summit closely.

“We’re fortunate at the moment that we’re not having the same issues to the same degree as other places,” she said, “but we want to try to stay on top of that and try to be preventative.”

Gaudet said the health region is taking precautionary measures against fentanyl, including a take-home Naloxone program similar to the one implemented in B.C. and other parts of Saskatchewan. Naloxone acts as an antidote to opioid overdose, and programs have already begun in Saskatoon, Regina and North Battleford. Gaudet said she expects a program to begin in P.A. early in 2017.

Shahab said preparation is crucial for regions which have not yet been impacted by the fentanyl crisis.

“Unfortunately it seems to come quickly and as a cluster,” Shahab said. “We can hope that it doesn’t come, but we have to be prepared to respond.”

Taylor.MacPherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @tmacphersonnews