Starting this week, patients enrolled in B.C.’s Prescribed Alternatives Program are now required to take their medications under the supervision of a pharmacist or other licensed healthcare professionals.
Introduced in March 2020, Prescribed Alternatives aims to reduce overdose deaths by substituting illicit drugs with regulated substances like opioids and stimulants. This new supervised consumption policy is designed to prevent the illicit resale or sharing of prescribed drugs on the streets.
The recent changes come after reports in February revealed that approximately 60 pharmacies were involved in diverting drugs from the safe supply program, raising concerns about the integrity of the initiative.
Guy Felicella, an expert in harm reduction and recovery, believes the focus should be on addressing the toxicity of unregulated drug supplies rather than cracking down on diversion within the program. He emphasizes the importance of the Prescribed Alternatives Program as a critical tool for many individuals and highlights the potential challenges faced by patients with the new supervision requirement.
While Felicella appreciates efforts to tackle substance diversion, he raises concerns about the impact on stable patients who have transitioned from illicit drugs to prescribed medications. He questions the practicality of requiring daily visits to a pharmacy and worries that this change could push individuals back to the dangers of street drugs.
Despite these criticisms, the Ministry of Health maintains its support for prescribed alternatives, emphasizing their role in saving lives by offering a safe alternative to the toxic street drug supply. However, they acknowledge the existence of bad actors who exploit the program for personal gain.
Conservative MLA Claire Rattee, a former addict, views the supervision mandate as a positive step forward and questions the wisdom of providing alternatives to street drugs, citing her own experiences with addiction.
Although the effectiveness of the Prescribed Alternatives Program is debated, recent data from the B.C. Coroners Service suggests a modest decrease in deaths from unregulated drug toxicity, indicating some progress in addressing the ongoing crisis.