
Safe supply in B.C.: Top doctor recommends expansion of prescription program
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B.C.'s top doctor is pushing for an expansion of the province's safer supply policy, saying in a report the program is "an ethically defensible way" to reduce harms for people who use drugs.
B.C.'s top doctor is pushing for an expansion of the province's safer supply policy, saying in a report the program is "an ethically defensible way" to reduce harms for people who use drugs.
Dr. Bonnie Henry released a 96-page report Thursday, reviewing the province's prescribed safer supply program. The aim of the report is to not only improve the lives of those who use drugs in the province, but to support the work of clinicians.
B.C.'s prescribed safer supply 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.
Some of the recommendations in Henry's review include expanding the substances that can be prescribed to drug users. The report explained hydromorphone tablets are currently the most accessible and widely prescribed substance. However, clinicians consulted for the report shared the tablets had limited benefits for those with higher opioid tolerance. The report proposed expanding access to fentanyl powder and diacetylmorphine, or heroin, through the program.
The report also noted the challenges some populations have in getting a prescribed safer supply, including a lack of access to clinicians. For others, the report noted, the medical system may not feel like a safe space for people who use drugs.
The province declared a public-health emergency over drug-related deaths in 2016. Since then, deaths due to drug toxicity have continued to escalate, with 2023 seeing the highest number yet. Henry's report said the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated the crisis, as shutdowns created barriers to accessing medical and harm-reduction services. As well, the global drug trade was disrupted, leading to a change in toxicity of drugs, the report explained.
While Henry's report focused on enhancing prescribed alternatives, the province's chief coroner, Lisa LaPointe, has called for a model that doesn't require a prescription.