On October 11, the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) released the province’s first-ever guidelines for prescribing injectable treatments for opioid addiction. Opioid use disorder is “one of the most challenging forms of substance use disorder facing the health care system in British Columbia” says the Executive Summary from the BCCSU. It also identifies fentanyl and other synthetic drugs as the real drive behind the drug poisoning (overdose) epidemic in the province that is creeping across the country. Outside of fentanyl laced drugs, the number of overdose deaths has remained fairly stable over the past 5 years.
The guidelines present the scientifically proven evidence that injectable opioid treatments can be the best option for people who haven’t had success with other treatment. They were developed and reviewed by academic researchers, doctors working in substance use care; health authority reps, and people who use drugs.
Designed for use by a variety of audiences, the guidelines are broken down into two sections. Target audiences for the first section about scientific evidence and implementation include policy makers, clinical and operational leads in the health authorities, and funders. In the second section, the focus is on setting up clinical practice that incorporates the guidelines, aimed at doctors and other health care providers and/or organizations providing care and treatment.
Read the press release
Read the Executive Summary
Read the complete Guidelines
Learn More
Drug Use and Overdose Repsonse
Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!
Janet Madsen, Capacity Building and Knowledge Translation Coordinator,
[email protected]