Canadian minister mental health and addiction The U.S. says more doctors across the country should be prepared to curtail safe supplies of drugs rather than be afraid of facing hurdles from their regulatory colleges.
Carolyn Bennett said a guidance document by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia could be of great help in other provinces and territories.
“I think, at this point in time, we’re a little limited because of some of the perspectives from colleges of physicians and surgeons across the country,” Bennett said at a news conference on Wednesday.
“Physicians have realized that unfortunately they will not be able to do this without being examined by (their) college.”
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BC College states that physicians who prescribe pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to street drugs as part of a comprehensive treatment plan, or harm reduction strategies alone, may better support patients and reduce the risk of overdose and death. can do
The exercise is based on a policy directive developed last July by the BC Ministries of Health and Mental Health and Addictions as part of an immediate response to the overdose crisis.
Bennett made the comments announcing damage reduction initiatives across Canada, including seven secure supply programs in BC and Ontario, which already include $40 million in budgets for various programs. That said, more than 7,500 people fatally overdosed nationwide last year, and it’s time Canadians understand the role they can play in combating the stigma related to drug use.
“From Cape Spear to Haida Gwaii, from Carcross to Windsor in southern Ontario, people are dying,” Bennett said.
He said pandemic restrictions such as limit gathering have made it difficult for people to access services, while systemic discrimination and racism in the health care system mean people do not seek help.
“There is an emerging consensus that we need to do more to reverse this devastating trend, save lives and bridge the gaps in our health care systems so that more people can get the care they need,” she said.
However, even in BC, doctors faced challenges in prescribing safe opioids.
The B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons said 1,607 of 7,229 practicing family physicians self-reported on their 2022 annual license renewal forms to determine safe supplies.
The college said in a written response that some of its concerns include a lack of qualified family physicians throughout the province, as well as limited clinical guidelines for support and training.
It also noted that there was limited clinical research in the prescribed safe supply, something that is noted in the province’s policy directive, which states that an evaluation would require a provincial-wide clinical trial to support widespread support throughout BC. The evidence is expected to be gathered to determine the feasibility of developing the guidance.
“Determining safe supplies is challenging and very resource intensive,” the college said, noting that there is a need for access to health care teams who can provide additional social support such as counseling, safe housing and social workers.
“These services are not readily available in all communities. Also, the current fee-for-service model of payment does not support family physicians to undertake this difficult task.”
In May, Bennett joined his counterpart in B.C., Sheila Malcomson, to announce that drug users in the province would be charged 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, or MDMA, also known as ecstasy, three times a day. No fee will be charged for keeping up to the year. The plan is scheduled to launch on January 31, 2023, the first such move in North America.
Of the $40 million in funding Bennett announced Wednesday, half is for services in Ontario, while the rest is split across all other provinces and the Yukon.
Michael Vaughan, CEO of the PHS Community Services Society, which provides harm-reduction and housing services in Vancouver and Victoria, said a new grant would allow the installation of a technology system that alerts emergency responders if someone is diagnosed with an overdose. There is danger.
Long waiting lists for treatment force families to go to extreme lengths during B.C.’s toxic drug crisis
The Lifeguard Digital Health app sends out an alert if a resident is using drugs alone does not respond to an alert that triggers them to discontinue it, something they would not be able to do if they were unconscious. If help doesn’t come, the system will prompt staff to examine the person before calling paramedics.
Vaughan said the society documented 2,047 overdoses in 2021, of which 309 occurred in private units.
The system builds on a successful pilot and will benefit residents of about 1,500 units of assisted living and 200 shelter locations, Vaughan said.
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