Toxic drug crisis: B.C. experts urge expansion of ‘safe supply’ to save lives

published on February 1, 2024 by Kristen Robinson in Global News

B.C. public health experts are urging the province to expand the current “safe supply” program, which prescribes clean drugs to a few thousand opioid users.

According to Health Canada, safer supply is defined as “providing prescribed medications as a safer alternative to the toxic illegal drug supply to people who are at high risk of overdose.”

In her review of B.C.’s safe supply program, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry acknowledged that “safe supply” means different things to different people.

BC Centre on Substance Use co-medical director Dr. Paxton Bach said the term safer supply is an umbrella which describes a variety of different programs and options – including prescribed hydromorphone tablets and fentanyl patches.

“Free drugs for all, that’s simply not accurate,” Bach told Global News in an interview Thursday…