Take Home Naloxone Program

Naloxone Basics

What is naloxone?

In PEI, opioid-related overdoses are on the rise.

Naloxone is a fast-acting medication used to temporarily reverse an opioid overdose until medical help arrives.

Naloxone can restore breathing within 2 to 5 minutes. Call 911 even if naloxone is used. The effects of opioids last longer than the effect of naloxone, meaning medical attention is still needed. Naloxone may need to be used again.

Naloxone is safe for all ages. It only works if you have opioids in your system. You cannot use naloxone improperly and does not create dependence. It is safe to keep a naloxone kit on hand.

Signs of opioid overdose

Signs of opioid-related overdose include:

• Difficulty walking or staying awake
• Not moving or can’t be woken
• Slow or no breathing
• Blue or grey lips or nails
• Choking, gurgling or snoring sounds
• Cold and clammy skin
• Very small pupils

 Overdose response

If you suspect an overdose, take the following steps:

• Stimulate - speak to them, squeeze their fingertip or the muscle between their neck and shoulder
• Call 911 right away
  • The Canadian Good Samaritan law protects people from being charged for simple drug possession
  • Call 911 even if naloxone is used. The effects of opioids last longer than the effect of naloxone
• Give naloxone
  • Take cap off vial, hold vial upside down
  • Insert needle into center of vial and pull back plunger until vial is empty
  • Inject naloxone into arm or thigh muscle
  • Push the plunger down until needle retracts into the syringe (“click” sound)
• Start rescue breaths (1 breath every 5 seconds) and/or chest compressions
• Evaluate if the person is breathing and responsive, and keep giving breaths
• If not responsive after 2-3 minutes, give another dose of naloxone and continue rescue breaths (repeat as needed)
• Stay with the person until emergency responders arrive

Instructions on signs of overdose and how to give naloxone are in each naloxone kit.

Naloxone training is available online (free), through first aid trainers and PEERS Alliance.

Where to get a naloxone kit

Free take home naloxone kits are available to anyone at risk of experiencing or witnessing a drug-related overdose.

Through the Provincial Take Home Naloxone Program, free naloxone kits are available at the following distribution sites (please contact organizations to confirm hours of operation ):

Pharmacy Sites:

Prince County:

• Alberton PharmaChoice - 483 Main St., Alberton
• Medicine Shoppe Alberton - 152 Poplar St., Alberton
• O’Leary PharmaChoice - 536 Main St., O'Leary
• Medicine Shoppe O’Leary - 500 Main St., O’Leary
• Murphy's Tyne Valley Pharmacy - 7033 Route 12, Tyne Valley
• Murphy’s Wellington Pharmacy - 16 Pond Drive, Wellington
• Lawtons Summerside - 475 Granville St., Summerside
• Medicine Shoppe Summerside - 54 Central St., Summerside
• Murphy's Central Street Pharmacy - 434 Central St., Summerside
• Shoppers Drug Mart Summerside - 454 Granville St., Summerside
• Sobeys Summerside - 475 Granville St., Summerside
• Murphy's Kensington Pharmacy - 56 Broadway St. N., Kensington

Queen's County:

• South Shore Pharmacy - 20557 Trans Canada Highway, Crapaud
• Murphy’s Rustico Pharmacy - 7379 Cavendish Road, North Rustico
• Hunter River Pharmacy - 4276 Hopedale Road, Hunter River
• Murphy’s Cornwall Pharmacy - 638 Main Street, Cornwall
• Pharmasave Cornwall - 25 Meadowbank Rd., Cornwall
• Lawtons Charlottetown - 199 Grafton St., Charlottetown
• Lawtons Sherwood Centre - 161 St. Peter's Road, Charlottetown
• Loblaw University Ave. - 465 University Ave., Charlottetown
• Loblaw West Royalty - 680 University Ave., Charlottetown
• Murphy’s Queen Street Pharmacy - 418 Queen Street, Charlottetown
• Murphy's East Royalty Pharmacy - 266 St. Peter's Road, Charlottetown
• Murphy's West Royalty Pharmacy - 591 North River Rd., Charlottetown
• Murphy's Parkdale Pharmacy - 24 St. Peter's Rd., Charlottetown
• Sherwood Drug Mart - 19 Brackley Point Road, Charlottetown
• Shoppers Drug Mart University Ave (100) - 403 University Ave., Charlottetown
• Sobeys University Ave - 400 University Ave., Charlottetown
• Sobeys West Royalty - 39 Babineau Ave., Charlottetown
• Walmart Charlottetown - 80 Buchanan Drive, Charlottetown
• Murphy's Kinlock Pharmacy - 14 Kinlock Rd., Stratford
• Murphy's Stratford Pharmacy - 13 Stratford Rd., Stratford
• Sobeys Stratford - 9 Kinlock Rd, Stratford

King's County:

• Lawtons Montague - 407 MacIntyre Ave., Montague
• Loblaw Montague - 509 Main St., Montague
• McKenna's PharmaChoice - 50 Queens Road, Montague
• Pharmasave Montague - 521 Main St., Montague
• Sobeys Montague - 76-87 Main St., Montague
• Murphy’s Morell Pharmacy - 25 Sunset Cr., Morell
• Souris Remedy's Rx - 51 Main St., Souris
• Mainstreet Pharmasave - 175 Main St., Souris

Community Sites:

• Health PEI Needle Exchange Program sites across PEI
• PEERS Alliance
• Native Council of PEI
• Holland College (all campuses)
• University of PEI
• Queen Street Recovery Clinic
• Community Outreach Centre

This page will be updated as new naloxone distribution sites are added.

Organizations that would like to distribute take-home naloxone kits to members of the public under this program can apply to become a distribution site by contacting naloxone@gov.pe.ca.