A local prescription drug exchange program is keeping more Fentanyl patches in the hands of patients who need them and pharmacists who can safely dispose of them.
The Fentanyl Exchange Program requires users to bring back their old patches to a pharmacist before getting their prescriptions refilled.
Thirty-four people died from Fentanyl-related overdoses in Windsor and Essex County in 2008-13, according to the Ontario coroner’s office.
Fentanyl patches and a return sheet are seen in Tim Brady’s Essex pharmacy on Tuesday, May 12, 2015. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)
Fentanyl, a prescription drug delivered through a skin patch, was designed to help people suffering from chronic pain. But it’s highly addictive quality and the relative ease of access turned it into a “drug of choice” for abusers smoking or chewing discarded packages.
“When you have prescription narcotics (like Tylenol or Percocet), you consume them and they’re gone at the end of the script. But with Fentanyl there’s a remainder on the patch,” said Det. Insp. Chris Auger, an officer with the OPP specializing in organized crime and prescription drug abuse.
“Even after three days, there’s active ingredient still on it,” he said. “To have that in the community, a child might come across it. Even if you or I using a 100 microgram patch for the first time with no opioid experience, there’s a chance we might overdose.”
Auger said the provincial police came to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit after seeing how effective exchange programs were throughout the province.
“A Fentanyl patch, if it gets into the wrong hands, there could be really serious consequences,” said Kristy McBeth, manager of chronic disease and injury prevention at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.
“We’d want to make sure all of the Fentanyl patches are accounted for in a safe and meaningful way,” she said.
About 30 local pharmacies are participating in the exchange program that began in November, McBeth said.
She said she’s seeing an increase in the number of pharmacies and physicians participating in the voluntary program.
“It’s a no-brainer,” said Tim Brady, the pharmacist at Brady’s Drugstore in Essex. “If it’s as simple as getting somebody to bring a pack back to prevent death, it’s a great thing. Why wouldn’t you do it?”
Brady was one of the first pharmacists to sign on to the program.
“Fentanyl is an excellent narcotic, but it’s extremely potent,” he said. “If you go online right now, it’s scary.”
He said there are websites with instructions on how to get the most out of used patches and others showing Fentanyl’s potential street value.
Delivered in this uncontrolled manner, Fentanyl can be volatile and could lead to an overdose.
Fears about the rate of these incidents created the first patch-for-patch program in North Bay. Other communities, including St. Thomas and Guelph, are already seeing success, Auger said.
Chatham-Kent is considering something similar after police reported cases of Fentanyl abuse. Eight people have died in Chatham-Kent in the past few years, said Const. Renee Cowell of Chatham-Kent Police.
“One death is too many,” she said. “We’re meeting as a community to discuss suggestions about how to solve this.”
Dr. Tim O’Callahan, a family physician in Amherstburg, said these programs are one of the most effective ways to prevent Fentanyl abuse.
Through Windsor’s exchange program, he was able to find out that a patient had been abusing the drug when it was obvious the returned patches were fake.
Even though he will prescribe it to his patients, he’s careful to ensure they show a low-risk for developing an addiction.
“The focus is not just on pain-reduction,” he said. “It’s really about improving their quality of life.”
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