The BC government has just announced that changes have been made to their Prescribed Alternatives Program which allows for people with high risk of overdose to access a safe supply.
This program tries to get safe substances into the hands of those who might normally access opioid drugs such as fentanyl through street dealers, which puts them at risk of succumbing to overdose.
The changes made to the Prescribed Alternatives Program will have the person accessing substances use said drugs while being witnessed by a medical professional to make sure the drugs don’t make their way onto the street.
“We are committed to saving lives and getting the people who are suffering from addiction the treatment they need,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health.
“In doing this work, we need to know that medications, like prescribed alternatives, are being used by the person they’re intended for. Prescribed alternatives have been proven to save lives by providing a safer option for people at high risk of overdose.”
This new requirement will be implemented immediately for new patients who are seeking to access safer alternatives to street drugs.
Meanwhile, for existing patients, the Province says they will be working with clinicians to transition them to witnessed consumption as soon as possible, while ensuring continuity of care.
The Province will also be making changes to alter the fee structure for pharmacies that provide prescribed alternatives.
The safer supply fees will be restructured for daily dispensing to avoid financial incentive for “bad actors” who may offer kickbacks to retain and attract new patients.
On the matter of overprescribing opioid substances, the BC government says they will be working to reduce the prescribing of these drugs across the board.
In December of last year alone, the Province says that 97% of people prescribed opioids got them for pain management, or reasons unrelated to the Prescribed Alternatives Program.
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In addition to the tightening up of the Prescribed Alternatives Program, the Province is actively investigating some pharmacies suspected of engaging in illegal activities such as the misusing of fee-for-service payments to offer incentives, thus attracting more patients.
According to the Ministry of Health, there are more than 60 pharmacies in the province with allegations made against them for engaging in such activities.
The Province says that in cases where wrongdoing is confirmed during investigations, the Ministry of Health and the College of Pharmacists of BC will suspend or cancel the pharmacy’s licence, make them ineligible to bill PharmaCare and refer them to law enforcement as appropriate.
“The overwhelming majority of pharmacies and prescribers follow the rules, but it is unacceptable that bad actors are exploiting the health-care system and putting communities at risk,” Osborne said.
“We are working with law enforcement to stop illegal activity and ensure pharmacies operate in the best interests of patients and public safety.”
Other work that the Province says they will be taking on in relation to the toxic drug crisis is building better mental-health and care supports while enhancing overdose-prevention services, supervised consumption sites and drug checking locations.
Since the public health emergency was initiated in April 2016, over 16,000 British Columbians have died of toxic drug use.
BC Green Party’s response to this policy change
Following the BC government’s announcement on the policy change, Interim Leader of the BC Greens Jeremy Valeriote, released a statement of dismay.
“We are disappointed by the Minister’s decision to move to a witnessed consumption model. While we recognize concerns about diversion, this approach raises serious questions about effectiveness and unintended consequences,” Valeriote said.
“For people trying to maintain employment, care for their families, or simply live their lives, the requirement to visit a pharmacy multiple times a day is untenable.”
He added that instead of allowing people to maintain access to this life-saving medication, the Province’s change risks pushing individuals back to the illicit supply chain.
This could ultimately increase the frequency of overdoses, and worsen the toxic drug death crisis.
“There is a troubling lack of clarity around the consultation process. Key health experts, such as the Provincial Health Officer, were not engaged in these discussions. Credible public health policy must be based on reliable evidence and informed by health experts,” Valeriote continued.
“We have yet to see a report demonstrating widespread diversion. Without transparency on this, how can we justify such a restrictive policy,” he asked.
The BC Greens’ position is that if the BC government really wants to address the illicit-toxic drug crisis, it must focus on the real causes: unregulated toxic substances and lack of access to physical and mental health care.
Instead, the Greens say the Province is opting to enact punitive restrictions on innocent people that will only lead to more harm.
“Restricting access to regulated pharmaceuticals will not stop people from using drugs; it will simply push them toward far more dangerous options,” explained Valeriote.
“The more we focus on distractions instead of addressing the root causes of this crisis, the more lives we will lose.”
He concluded by saying that this government’s responsibility is to protect public health; however, this policy risks doing the opposite.
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