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Overdose deaths in South Health Zone nearly double in 2017

Mar 5, 2018 | 10:40 AM

LETHBRIDGE –  Alberta Health has released its final 2017 Quarterly Report on Opioids and Substances of Misuse. It includes the final tally for deaths, ER visits, hospitalizations and methadone/naloxone dispensing across the province.

In Alberta, 687 people died from apparent accidental opioid overdoses, or about two people every day. Of those, 562 people died from an apparent accident fentanyl overdose.

In the South Zone, there were 30 accidental overdose deaths in 2017, with 18 of those in Lethbridge alone. In Medicine Hat there were seven deaths. In 2016, there were 16 deaths in the south zone, with 10 of those in Lethbridge, and three in Medicine Hat.

According to the report, carfentanil is also claiming more lives in the South Health Zone as well. In 2016, there were two deaths related to the drug, which is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, and 10,000 times as potent as morphine. In 2017, those numbers quadrupled to eight.

Last year, 22 per cent of all fentanyl poisoning deaths had no other substances listed on a death certificate as causing death, while 42 per cent had methamphetamine listed, 31 per cent had cocaine listed, and 18 per cent had heroin listed.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Most of those dying from apparent accidental drug overdoses related to fentanyl are men ages 30-34, and women ages 25-29. More than 80 per cent of those who died, were in urban areas, including Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.

For overdoses related to other opioids, 54 per cent occurred among males ages 50-54 years. Among women, it was 45-49 years of age.

HOSPITALIZATIONS & ER VISITS

The South Health Zone continues to have the highest rate of ER visits and hospitalizations at 31 and 40 per cent respectively (higher than the provincial average), between 2014 and 2017. Calgary and Edmonton had the highest number of ER visits and hospitalizations.

Chinook Regional Hospital sits at number nine of the top 10 most utilized emergency departments in the province. Between Jan. 1, 2014 and Sept. 30, 2017 there were 1,093 visits related to overdoses and other substances of misuse. Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton is at number one with 3,537 visits during the same time.

Medicine Hat leads the way in the South Zone for actual hospitalizations, with 390 over the last three years. Royal Alexandra Hospital once again has the most hospitalizations overall with 1,729 during the same period.

NALOXONE AND METHADONE

The South Zone also leads the way in terms of the number of naloxone kits given out, and methadone dispensed.

In 2017, the number of individuals dispensed methadone was 169 per cent higher than the provincial average, (158 per 100,000 vs. 93 per 100,000) while the rate of naloxone dispensed was 216 per cent higher than the provincial average (183 per 100,000 vs. 85 per 100,000).

The lion’s share of naloxone kits came from harm reduction agencies, such as ARCHES, followed by community pharmacies, addictions and mental health, opioid dependency programs and corrections, rounding out the top five.

Since Jan. 1, 2016, more than 37,000 naloxone kits have been distributed throughout the province.

For more information, or to view the report, go to /www.alberta.ca/opioid-reports.aspx.