Review of B.C.'s 'safer supply' program to be released

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is expected to release her review of B.C.'s prescribed safer supply drug program on Thursday afternoon.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is expected to release her review of B.C.'s prescribed safer supply drug program on Thursday afternoon.

The review comes on the heels of a record-breaking 2,511 deaths caused by suspected illicit drug poisoning in the province last year.

The policy was first introduced in 2021 with the province committing $22.6 million in direct funding to health authorities to lay out the foundation of the program over three years.

At the time, the province said the funding would also go towards supporting the planning, phased implementation, monitoring and evaluation of prescribed safer supply services.

“Carefully introducing prescribed safer supply is part of B.C.’s ongoing work to improve services for people with substance use challenges and to end the criminalization of people who use drugs, to reduce stigma and enhance support,” the province wrote in July 2021.

Henry’s review is expected to be released early this afternoon but no information has been shared yet.

In recent weeks, B.C.'s chief coroner Lisa Lapointe has pushed to expand the program to include a non-prescription safe supply of drugs.