St. Paul Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has implemented a new program to help treat patients struggling with addiction. Crews now carry Suboxone, which can be administered to people going through withdrawal.

“This drug will absolutely save lives,” said Steve Sampson, deputy chief of St. Paul Emergency Medical Services. “The fact that this is offered through a fire department or an EMS service is a little bit cutting edge. There aren’t many fire-based EMS departments across the country that deploy this.

He explained that they have begun contacting other agencies elsewhere in the country that administer Suboxone to see if a program could be adopted here.

“Our community in the city of St. Paul has been somewhat ravaged by the impacts of opioid-related emergency medical services,” Sampson said. “Our people were looking for a resource that could benefit those who need it most. »

Within six months, in partnership with Regions Hospital, St. Paul EMS received DEA approval to begin administering the drug.

Regional Hospital Emergency Medical Services participated in team training, which included testing over the past month to ensure EMS medics are prepared to administer Suboxone.

Patients will choose whether they wish to use this option. It is intended for people who immediately begin experiencing withdrawal symptoms after receiving Narcan, or for those who have decided to stop using drugs on their own and need intervention to relieve symptoms of withdrawal. withdrawal before relapsing, according to Sampson.

“The only option we had before was to get these people to an emergency department. Now we have the opportunity to give people the opportunity to get medication treatment and we can meet them where they are,” he declared.

Suboxone has been used for years, including by the Hazeldon Betty Ford Foundation.

“Suboxone is very safe,” said Dr. Alta DeRoo, chief medical officer at Hazeldon Betty Ford, who explained that it is classified as an opioid. “It only partially activates this opioid receptor. It has a ceiling effect, so even if someone wanted to take more suxboxone, there is no overdose profile like other opioids would.

She added: “People are not going to get high on Suboxone. »

It can be taken in an acute or long-term setting, according to Dr. DeRoo.

“They will no longer experience opioid withdrawal caused by rapid heart rate, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea,” she said. “It takes away those horrible symptoms of opioid withdrawal because it actually stimulates the opioid receptors.”

She is encouraged by the new St. Paul EMS program.

“Giving some type of medication on board to transition the treatment from the rescuer to a facility like ours could be a life-saving measure,” she said. “I’m very excited to hear about this.”