Why create this barrier? Alberta pharmacists will now need to collect PHNs before handing out naloxone kits

Starting this month, Albertans walking into a pharmacy for a free naloxone kit will be asked for their personal health number, with some pharmacists fearing the new provincial rule creates an unnecessary barrier to the life-saving medication. As of Oct. 1, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will need to record patient-specific personal health numbers (PHN) for every kit provided through Alberta’s Community Based Naloxone (CBN) program. If someone does not have a valid PHN or is unwilling to provide one, pharmacists may refer them to a nearby community-based organization, where a number will not be required to receive a kit. Pharmacies retain the right to submit a pseudo-PHN if it’s an emergency, or if the person cannot access a PHN and there is no nearby community-based organization offering kits.Alberta’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction says collecting PHNs will give the province better information about where kits are being accessed and help identify areas of greatest need.Aileen Jang, president of the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association (RxA), says the association has heard concerns from community pharmacists. “Pharmacists providing harm-reduction services know that some individuals seeking naloxone are often reluctant to provide personal information due to privacy concerns, stigma or previous experiences with the healthcare system,” Jang said in a written statement to Pharmacy Practice + Business.“Adding that requirement to an intervention that has historically been available with relatively few barriers may discourage some individuals from obtaining a kit.”In March 2016, Health Canada removed naloxone from the Prescription Drug List specifically “to increase public access,” allowing pharmacies to provide it without an individual prescription.“Stigma surrounding substance use can lead people to hide their drug use or use drugs alone,” in turn discouraging them from seeking health and social services, according to its guidance on Canada’s overdose crisis. In an email to Pharmacy Practice + Business, ministry press secretary Nathaniel Dueck stressed that Albertans seeking naloxone will not need to provide a PHN at community-based organizations. “No Albertan in need will be denied a free naloxone kit,” Dueck said.“The Community-Based Naloxone Program is an important part of the Alberta Recovery Model, and we’re committed to keeping naloxone kits free and widely accessible across the province,” he said.Jang, however, argued that sending someone elsewhere is not the equivalent to providing a kit immediately at a pharmacy.“Depending on location, hours of operation and transportation, referral may introduce another step between an individual and a potentially life-saving intervention,” Jang said.Jang also raised concerns about the program’s general expectation that one kit be provided per individual request.“Pharmacists are increasingly encountering patients who report needing multiple doses of naloxone when responding to an opioid poisoning,” she said.The program allows pharmacists to provide additional kits when clinically indicated, up to its stated maximum. Jang said pharmacists must retain the professional discretion to assess those needs case by case.The province’s new PHN requirement does not change pharmacy participation in the CBN program, and pharmacies do not need to re-register as the program transitions from Primary Care Alberta to Recovery Alberta. They will continue to receive and distribute free naloxone kits.Jang said RxA will now be watching whether the new requirements affect how many people get them.“As these changes take effect, it will be important to monitor their impact on kit distribution and listen to pharmacists and the communities they serve to determine whether the requirements are creating unintended barriers to access.”

Why create this barrier? Alberta pharmacists will now need to collect PHNs before handing out naloxone kits

Register for free access or login.

Related Topics