Canada - New B.C. guidelines unveiled for prescription heroin

[S.J.B.]

New B.C. guidelines unveiled for prescription heroin
Isabella Zavarise
Global News
October 12th, 2017

The BC Centre on Substance Abuse Use (BCCSU) has announced B.C.’s first ever guidelines for injectable opioid treatments.

B.C. addictions expert, Dr. Seonaid Nolan says this is a step in the right direction.

Dr. Nolan, addiction medicine physician at St. Paul’s Hospital and a clinical researcher at the BC Centre on Substance Use spoke with CKNW’s Jon McComb on Thursday about using prescription heroin to treat opioid addiction.

According to the latest numbers from the BC Coroners Service, more than 1,000 people have died of an overdose this year across the province.

“I think it’s natural for people to be hesitant about prescribing this form of therapy. I think what we need to keep in mind is the context with regards to our current public health crisis. Four British Columbians are dying every single day from an overdose,” she said.

Read the full story here.

Read the guidelines here.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

...an people suffering from crippling pain? they lose their oxy scripts. Heroin addicts that are the reason why the crippled people lost their med?...they get heroin. seems fair

 

[belligerent drunk]

^ it's the fear of pharmaceutical opioid abuse that led to pain patients losing their meds, not heroin. Heroin is just the go-to solution for those people when they can't get any pharm opis. That's how I understand it.

That said, people should be able to get proper pain medication if they're in pain. There's no question about that in my mind.