Paramedics now treating pain of opioid withdrawal to open door to recovery
For the first time, Ottawa paramedics are able to administer suboxone while responding to opioid-related 911 calls — a drug that, when dosed correctly, eases the painful symptoms of overdose reversal and withdrawal.
![Paramedics now treating pain of opioid withdrawal to open door to recovery](https://i.cbc.ca/1.6645331.1708034943!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/ottawa-paramedics.jpg)
![Ottawa has been facing an unprecedented number of “level zeros,” where there are no ambulances available to respond to emergencies. Pierre Poirier, Ottawa's paramedic chief, said the city has experienced 1,500 such incidents in 2022 so far. A paramedic in uniform stands behind an open ambulance](https://i.cbc.ca/1.6645331.1708034943!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/ottawa-paramedics.jpg)
For the first time, Ottawa paramedics are able to administer suboxone while responding to opioid-related 911 calls — a drug that, when dosed correctly, eases the painful symptoms of overdose reversal and withdrawal.