B.C.’s naturopathic doctors say they want to help address the toxic drug crisis that is killing nearly seven people in the province every day, and are lobbying for the right to prescribe safer supplies. There is.
The BC Board of Naturopathic Doctors (BCND), a volunteer professional association, sent a letter to Mental Health and Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside on Nov. 16, warning that street drugs, along with opioid agonist treatments such as methadone and suboxone, He asked for permission to prescribe drug alternatives. Opioid agonist therapy is a treatment that involves taking medications to reduce withdrawal from opioid use.
Prince George’s naturopathic doctor Deborah Fair told CBC host Carolina Derrick. daybreak northindicating that the group has not yet received a response.
“This is a crisis that really needs immediate attention,” Fair said. “Naturopathic doctors, we’re here, we’re licensed, we’re already working in communities in British Columbia. We want to help. So what I’m saying is, we want to help. It’s just, ‘Minister, please let me help you.’
She said allowing naturopathic doctors to prescribe these drugs would not only provide more access for patients, but also reduce pressure on doctors amid a shortage of primary care providers. claim that it is possible.
According to the Province of British Columbia, an estimated 225,000 people in British Columbia are at risk of death or injury from drug use, but only 5,000 have access to safer prescription drugs. November report From the B.C. Coroner’s Office.
More than 13,300 people have died since British Columbia declared a public health emergency in April 2016 due to a spike in illicit drug-related deaths.
The ministry said the request was under consideration.
Naturopathic doctors in B.C. right to prescribe Since 2009, you can purchase certain medicines as long as you have completed a certified course. You can also complete a course that allows you to get vaccinated.
Currently, about 630 of B.C.’s 800 licensed naturopathic doctors have prescribing authority, Fair said.
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses were given the following competencies: Prescribe medication for opioid use disorder Earlier this year, it came under a new designation that allows for the diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders. This designation requires training from the BC Substance Use Center.
November death review committee called for expansion of safer supply programs This would allow people to access an alternative to toxic street drugs without a prescription.
Whiteside immediately rejected the proposal.
The BCND letter is currently under review, according to a written statement from the ministry.
The ministry said a review of B.C.’s Safer Supply Program is currently being conducted by experts from the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is also reviewing aspects of the program, which was initially introduced in response to a surge in deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While evaluation of the program is currently underway, preliminary findings indicate reductions in overdose and all-cause mortality among people receiving prescription opioids,” the department said in a statement. There is.
“Early findings show that deaths are reduced by 61 percent among people who receive prescription opioids compared to those who do not receive prescriptions for opioids.”
