Communique

In April 2016, the BC Minister of Health and Provincial Health Officer declared a Public Health Emergency in response to the alarming number of overdoses and deaths in the first few months of 2016. Since this time, the FNHA has been actively engaged in naloxone training, distributing naloxone kits, education and awareness, improving access to naloxone, facilitating follow-up treatment, and social media and information campaigns.

Obtain a Naloxone Kit (at no cost)

FNHA distributes Take-home Naloxone Kits to BC First Nations in partnership with community health nurses and through the BC Centre for Disease Control's (BCCDC) Toward the Heart Program. 96 First Nations are equipped to distribute Naloxone to their members as required. 

Naloxone can also be obtained from a pharmacy. First Nations now have two choices and both are covered by First Nations Health Benefits. First Nations can:

✓ Speak with a pharmacist. If naloxone is right for him/her then the pharmacist will provide it.

✓ Alternately, visit a doctor and ask for a prescription and have the prescription filled at the pharmacy (like before).

Naloxone Training Update
FNHA has been actively involved in promoting and facilitating access to harm reduction services, providing training and facilitating Naloxone kit distribution to communities.  To date approximately 96 communities have participated in training.  FNHA staff collaborates with community partners and Regional Health Authority regional staff in addressing a more local, community based response to the overdose crisis. FNHA continues to expand activities in this area.

To request training in your community or region, please contact Janine Stevenson at janine.stevenson@fnha.ca.

Provincial Context 
FNHA is active in the Provincial Overdose Response Task Groups established over the summer, FNHA and the Province of BC have committed to the following three areas of focus:

• Preventing overdose-related deaths through promoting awareness and appropriate use of naloxone and awareness of the harms associated with fentanyl and other opioids through Indigenous learning circles.

• Working with partners on the ongoing process of implementing the Declaration on Cultural Safety & Humility throughout the health system.

• Working with the Ministry of Health and the Regional Health Authorities to collect data to ensure that an evidence-base on opioid use and related harms, in particular overdose rates, is available. 

Resources and Communication

The FNHA has a number of communication resources available for First Nations in BC.

✓ Visit www.fnha.ca/overdose to learn more about treatment centres, harm reduction, naloxone, and more.

✓ Treatment services are available at First Nations Treatment centres. Find a location here: www.fnha.ca/treatment

✓ Watch the S.A.V.E. M.E. Steps to Save a Life video here.

✓ Download and share the new FNHA Overdose poster here.

✓ Find a harm-reduction site that offers Naloxone training: http://towardtheheart.com/site-locator.

✓ Read: Embracing the Grey Area: Harm Reduction in a Community Context

✓ Read: Circle of Care: KUU-US First Nations and Aboriginal Crisis Line Support Available 24 Hrs - 1-800-588-8717

The FNHA is available to support community or regional townhall meetings related to the crisis in partnership with local health centres and providers. To request a townhall meeting please contact info@fnha.ca.