Peterborough Housing Corporation employee calls out organization for not allowing staff to carry or administer naloxone

An employee at the Peterborough Housing Corporation (PHC) is condemning the organization for not allowing employees to carry or administer naloxone while on the job, saying it poses a danger to tenants and the organization’s staff.

The employee, who the Examiner agreed not to name in this article, says that they have faced threats of termination if they are found to have or administered naloxone while at work.

“I was told by our management, do not ever use it. Not on fellow employees, not on tenants, not on anybody,” they said in an interview. “Although I might be able to get away with using  it — I might be able to get away with explaining how it works to someone — it’s been a clear, ‘you will be fired.’”

Despite the possibility of losing their job, the employee, who is certified in first aid through the Red Cross, said that they have had to administer naloxone twice during their work day in the past year alone.

“The Red Cross is a very well-established organization,” they said. “I don’t  understand why, with a little bit of training, we can’t allow the employees to do that.”

CEO of PHC Travis Doak told the Examiner in a brief statement that the organization is following the direction of the City of Peterborough, which at this time does not allow employees to carry or administer the lifesaving treatment.

In April of 2023, at the request of council, a staff report outlined recommendations which would have seen the implementation of training materials to help staff in city facilities recognize the signs of overdose and develop guidelines for what to do should they suspect an overdose.

An alternative recommendation, which was subsequently voted down by council, would have seen naloxone limited for use at the library, transit terminal and social services properties.

The recommendation from staff would also have seen the city need to secure at least $5 million in medical malpractice insurance while identifying employees who would be willing to volunteer to be trained to administer naloxone.

Coun. Alex Bierk moved what he called a “reined-in” version of the recommendation, which would have allowed adding naloxone to first-aid kits in city facilities, which was also voted down.

During a council meeting on April 24, 2023, medical officer of health Dr.  Thomas Piggott told councillors that he was concerned by what he called  “misinformation” in the staff report around the idea that those who have  overdosed become violent after receiving a dose of naloxone.

Piggott added that this idea is “stigmatizing” and “grossly overstated” and expressed frustration at city hall for restating myths, including the idea that having staff trained and equipped with naloxone would encourage drug use in city-operated buildings.

“We would never be having this conversation if it was about an EpiPen,” Piggott told councillors, referring to the commonplace medical intervention for those with severe allergies who are at risk of anaphylactic reaction.

The PHC employee the Examiner spoke to echoed this sentiment, explaining that naloxone is harmless if administered accidentally to someone who is not in need and the means of delivery is also non-invasive.

“It doesn’t hurt you if you don’t need it. It’s the same with a couple of other medications that the Red Cross allows you to administer, like epinephrine,” they said, referring to the active medical component of an EpiPen.

Reached for comment on Tuesday, Bierk said that he wasn’t aware of the specific situation at PHC.

Bierk added that the organization has a lot of support from outside agencies who can respond to and help with instances where overdose and overdose prevention might be a concern for employees and residents of PHC  properties.

According to the employee, not only are they worried for the well-being of vulnerable populations in the city, but also for  the possibility accidental overdoses occurring when PHC staff enter units.

“I don’t ever want to read in the newspaper that one of my colleagues was killed because they accidentally overdosed on an opioid in a unit and no one could help them,” they said.