Chatham-Kent police are looking into a program that could reduce fentanyl patch abuse and overdoses.
The Patch 4 Patch Program, adopted by some pharmacies in Ontario, requires patients return their used fentanyl patches before being issued a new prescription.
Constable Nelson Dasneves says this creates accountability for patients. "It's never going to get into the wrong hands, you're never going to have somebody touch it by accident."
Seven people in Chatham-Kent have died from a fentanyl overdose since 2011. Dasneves says he's seen and heard plenty of horror stories. "You're talking about people knowing that their heart rate can stop to the point where they stop breathing, and they need someone there to perform CPR."