Abstract
A recent report found that the number of opioid-related deaths in Ontario in the first 15 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic was 38.2% higher than in the 15 weeks before the pandemic. Our study sought to determine if pharmacy professionals self-reported an increase or decrease in naloxone provision due to the pandemic and to identify adjustments made by pharmacy professionals to dispense naloxone during the pandemic. A total of 231 Ontario community pharmacy professionals completed an online survey. Pharmacy professionals’ barriers, facilitators, and comfort level with dispensing naloxone before and during the pandemic were identified. The sample consisted of mostly pharmacists (99.1%). Over half (51.1%) reported no change in naloxone dispensing, while 22.9% of respondents reported an increase and 24.7% a decrease. The most common adjustments made during the pandemic were training patients how to administer naloxone over video or phone, delivering naloxone kits, and pharmacy technicians offering naloxone at prescription intake. Over half (55%) of participants said the top barrier for dispensing was that patients did not request naloxone. Naloxone distribution through pharmacies could be further optimized to address the increased incidence of overdose deaths during the pandemic. Future research should investigate the reasons for changes in naloxone dispensing.
Highlights
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on the opioid crisis, as seen by the increasing number of opioid-related overdoses and deaths [1]
Given that the opioid crisis appears to be worsening as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses [1,2], it is critical that we develop an understanding of how the public’s access to naloxone via community pharmacies may be affected and what adjustments these professionals are or are not making to distribute naloxone
Our results show that the sample of participants was divided into three groups with respect to naloxone dispensing: those who experienced no change, those who experienced an increase, and those who experienced a decrease
Summary
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on the opioid crisis, as seen by the increasing number of opioid-related overdoses and deaths [1]. Between January 2016 and June 2020, Canada reported more than 17,500 apparent opioid toxicity deaths [1]. During this period, the highest quarterly count occurred between April and June of 2020 [1]. In Ontario, the number of opioid-related deaths in the first 15 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic was 38.2% higher than in the 15 weeks before the pandemic [2]. An Ontario population-based study showed that between 1 July 2016 and 31 March
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