CCH Launches First-Dose Suboxone Program in the Emergency Department
2025-07-19
Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH)
has launched a new a first-dose Suboxone program offered through the Emergency
Department to support individuals in our community who are struggling with
opioid use disorder.
Suboxone is a medication that
helps people stop using opioids such as fentanyl, heroin, or prescription
painkillers. It contains two ingredients that work together to support recovery:
buprenorphine, which helps reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings, and
naloxone, which prevents misuse and helps make Suboxone safer.
The program is intended for
individuals who are in early opioid withdrawal and ready to begin treatment. The
first dose can be given once a person has started to feel mild to moderate
withdrawal symptoms (usually 12 to 24 hours after their last opioid use) to
ease symptoms and reduce cravings, so they can safely and more comfortably
start ongoing recovery.
The Emergency Department often
acts as the first point of contact in the healthcare system for people in
crisis due to opioid use. Treatment is often limited to managing acute symptoms
or reversing overdoses. However, with this program, we can now also help
address underlying disorders.
This initiative within our Emergency Department was developed in close collaboration with Recovery Care, a harm reduction clinic in Cornwall that specializes in substance use disorders, and CCH’s Withdrawal Management Services, which provides support for people working toward recovery in both inpatient and outpatient settings. After receiving the initial dose in the Emergency Department, patients are given a prescription and referred to Recovery Care to continue treatment and receive ongoing support. They may also be connected to Withdrawal Management Services for additional support during their recovery journey.
“By having first doses of
suboxone readily available in the Emergency Department, we can immediately
start someone on their recovery journey instead of simply managing their
symptoms,” explains Dr. Lorne Scharf, an Emergency Physician at CCH who helped
spearhead this new initiative. “It’s a safer, evidence-based approach, and it
allows us to help patients take that critical first step while also charting a
clear and structured path toward ongoing care. It’s really a game-changer for
our community.”
In recent years, opioid use and
overdose rates have risen significantly across the province, including in
Cornwall, highlighting the urgent need for more accessible, timely care and
support for those affected by substance use.
By initiating treatment directly
in the Emergency Department and linking patients to community follow-up, the
program also helps reduce repeat visits, ease pressure on emergency services,
and create better and safer long-term outcomes for patients.
“We’re committed to providing
compassionate, safe, and stigma free care to everyone,” says Dr. Scharf. “If
you are in the early stages of withdrawal and are ready to begin treatment, we
will ensure that you feel safe and supported.”
The first-dose Suboxone program also
proudly reflects CCH’s ongoing commitment to enhancing access to care and
strengthening health system integration to better serve the needs of our
community.