British Columbia香蕉视频直播檚 former chief coroner says she香蕉视频直播檚 disappointed by the province香蕉视频直播檚 overhaul of its program that provides prescription alternatives to toxic street drugs, a shift she says 香蕉视频直播渇eels like a really impulsive political decision.香蕉视频直播�

Lisa Lapointe said the move to a 香蕉视频直播渨itnessed-only香蕉视频直播� model in which people are supervised while consuming their prescription drugs appeared to ignore scientific evidence.

香蕉视频直播�(Driving) people away from the illicit black market by providing them access to a regulated supply of the drug that they香蕉视频直播檙e dependent on keeps people safe,香蕉视频直播� said Lapointe, who retired from the chief coroner香蕉视频直播檚 post in February 2024.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 really disturbing that our politicians who we rely on to keep us safe are more likely to respond to ideological arguments than science.香蕉视频直播�

Health Minister Josie Osborne announced the change on Wednesday, saying it was aimed at preventing the diversion of take-home prescription opioids onto the street.

The issue of opioid diversion from the prescribed alternatives program, also known as safer supply, has dogged the NDP government of Premier David Eby.

Last March, both the RCMP香蕉视频直播檚 commanding officer in B.C. and then-solicitor general Mike Farnworth said there was no evidence of 香蕉视频直播渨idespread香蕉视频直播� diversion.

But this month, a leaked Health Ministry briefing for police said a 香蕉视频直播渟ignificant portion香蕉视频直播� of opioids prescribed in B.C. were being diverted.

Opposition leader John Rustad of the B.C. Conservatives portrayed the policy shift as a 香蕉视频直播渕ajor policy victory香蕉视频直播� for his party.

香蕉视频直播淓by香蕉视频直播檚 NDP has caved on one of Eby香蕉视频直播檚 signature policy proposals and made a major about-face on their failed radical left-wing safe supply policy,香蕉视频直播� he said on social media.

Lapointe said she had 香蕉视频直播渟o many questions香蕉视频直播� about the information on which B.C. officials based their decision to overhaul the program.

香蕉视频直播淲hat harms have we seen? If diversion is happening on the scale that allegedly it has been, why? You know, who香蕉视频直播檚 looking at the pharmacy and the pharmacists and that香蕉视频直播檚 the job of the College of Pharmacists,香蕉视频直播� she said in an interview.

香蕉视频直播淚f widespread diversion is happening, is it because people aren香蕉视频直播檛 getting the drug they need, and are these actually diverted prescribed medications? Or is this Dilaudid that香蕉视频直播檚 been manufactured by organized crime to look like prescribed medications?香蕉视频直播� she said, referring to the brand name for hydromorphone, a commonly prescribed safer-supply drug.

Lapointe 香蕉视频直播� who sometimes clashed with the government over drug policy and presented a report in 2023 that recommended expanding safer supply to people without prescriptions 香蕉视频直播� said the province should share the evidence behind the witnessed-consumption-only strategy.

香蕉视频直播淚f they feel confident in their finding, then release the data.香蕉视频直播�

Lapointe said the change would curtail access to prescription alternatives, making it 香蕉视频直播渞eally onerous,香蕉视频直播� especially for those who require multiple doses each day.

DJ Larkin, executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition based at Simon Fraser University, agreed and said people cannot go to a health provider香蕉视频直播檚 office potentially multiple times each day in order to access prescription alternatives.

香蕉视频直播淭aken at face value, if this program is now to require people to attend every dose, it means the program will effectively disappear,香蕉视频直播� Larkin said in an interview Thursday.

香蕉视频直播淚f you live in the Northern Health Region, the idea of travelling for daily dispensing and witness dispensing is impossible.香蕉视频直播�

Larkin said the new policy was 香蕉视频直播渂ased on politics and not on evidence.香蕉视频直播�

Leslie McBain with the advocacy group Moms Stop the Harm said she was 香蕉视频直播渂lindsided香蕉视频直播� by what she also called a political move.

She said people who have stabilized their lives by participating in the program were being 香蕉视频直播減ut in an ugly position.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚nstead of going to the pharmacy four times a day or three times a day to be witnessed, they will just go back to the black market, which is much easier, and then there will be more toxic overdoses and more fatalities,香蕉视频直播� she said.

B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 new policy reflects recent recommendations by Addiction Medicine Canada, a group of addictions clinicians, who urged the province to adopt a supervised model.

Group member Dr. Robert Cooper, an addictions doctor and family physician in Toronto, said last month that 香蕉视频直播渨idespread香蕉视频直播� anecdotal reports alleging inappropriate use of prescribed opiates required such a policy shift.

香蕉视频直播淭he concern here is where the programs are giving medications to patients who 香蕉视频直播� are either using them inappropriately, so injecting or crushing and snorting and/or selling (them) or giving them to others, and using the proceeds to buy fentanyl.香蕉视频直播�

But Larkin said diversion has been happening for as long as prescriptions have existed, and it香蕉视频直播檚 important to look at why it may be occurring in B.C.

香蕉视频直播淥ne answer is the drug supply is really scary for people right now, and so diversion to friends and family can be a way to keep loved ones safe by sharing your prescription with someone else,香蕉视频直播� Larkin said.

Dr. Ryan Herriot, an addictions medicine doctor and family physician on Vancouver Island, said he worried about politicization of care for those with substance-use disorders.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 not saying this government would do that, but I worry that they are, maybe unbeknownst themselves, they香蕉视频直播檙e actually making it easier for someone else in the future to further politicize other areas of medicine,香蕉视频直播� said Herriot, who is a member of the group Doctors for Safer Drug Policy.

Angie Gaddy, spokeswoman for the BC Pharmacy Association, said in an email the group was waiting for more details but 香蕉视频直播渨e do support the government香蕉视频直播檚 decision as an element in addressing the diversion of prescribed alternatives.香蕉视频直播�

More than 16,000 people have died in B.C. since the toxic drug crisis was declared a public health emergency in April 2016.

香蕉视频直播� With files from Darryl Greer in Vancouver

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press