The quick thinking of a London Drugs staff saved a life. A Vancouver Island pharmacist was given credit for saving the life of an overdose victim. The effectiveness of naloxone as a vital tool in the opioid epidemic in B.C. has been documented.
According to Courtenay London Drugs pharmacy manager Tara Oxford, she experienced first-hand the life-saving power, after personally administering a naloxone shot to a customer who overdosed within the store.
Dangers of overdose
The incident occurred early in October. There was no judgment at that point and she knew that it is a drug that is going to save his life. The scenario was intense but it was very calm.
It was a usual workday at the Driftwood Mall outlet that took an undesirable turn when a 24-year old man asked to use the public washroom of the store and did not reappear. After 40 minutes and the inability of the staff to get his attention, the store manager Adam Fraser opened the door using an emergency key. The man was found slumped over the toilet seat and unresponsive. He was surrounded by drug paraphernalia and was pale blue and barely breathing.
The London Drugs staff promptly switched into crisis mode. They called 911, cordoned off the area, performed first CPR and notified Oxford to deliver a naloxone shot. After she gathered her supplies, she proceeded to the scene to inject the life-saving drug.
After giving the shot, his color returned quickly. He started to come around and by the time the paramedics arrived, he was given oxygen and turned pink again and walked straight on the stretcher.
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