Sitting in Dr. Randal MasonB次元官网网址檚 office at the new AIDS Vancouver Island Health Centre, it looks no different than any other doctorB次元官网网址檚 office.
There are two black chairs, a computer tucked away in the far corner and an examination table. The grey walls sit bare, with no information posters or stethoscopes hanging from the walls. This is where people suffering from opioid addictions can now come for treatment.
The clinic, which opened quietly last month at 111-2787 Jacklin Rd., is the first of its kind on the West Shore and provides supervised opiate substitution therapy, as well as harm reduction services and information on disease prevention, safer drug use and overdose prevention to patients.
As part of the program, patients who are actively using or looking to stop are prescribed medications, which help reduce oneB次元官网网址檚 need for a fix.
They then get the prescription filled at a pharmacy and take the medications orally, which stays in their system for up to 24 hours.
B次元官网网址淏asically weB次元官网网址檙e replacing their need for that short-action opioid, be it heroine or whatever substance theyB次元官网网址檙e on, with these long-acting very predictable medications,B次元官网网址� said Mason, medical director of the clinic.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e no longer having to go out and find this medication when they start going into withdraw. Not only is it a huge benefit to their health, but it provides them more stability in their life.B次元官网网址�
Since opening last month, the clinic has seen roughly 15 patients per day on the Tuesdays and Thursdays itB次元官网网址檚 open. Mason said itB次元官网网址檚 getting busier every week and itB次元官网网址檚 no surprise why.
In August, there were 113 suspected drug overdose deaths in B.C. B次元官网网址� a 79 per cent increase compared to the same month last year. So far this year, there have been 65 illicit drug overdose deaths in Victoria alone, according to the B.C. Coroners Service.
With overdose deaths climbing, the demand for such services have been growing locally as well. While there are a few opiate substitution therapy services in Victoria, Mason said about 40 per cent of people accessing care downtown are travelling from the West Shore and Sooke.
B次元官网网址淭he thought was to give people access to care in the community in which they live or at least closer to where they live, which would further reduce barriers to improving their health,B次元官网网址� he said. But not everyone is on board with the idea.
Some area residents and parents of students that attend Ruth King Elementary school, located across the street from the clinic, say proper community consultation was not done and that it is not an appropriate place for such services.
B次元官网网址淚f you have an opioid treatment facility, there are going to be addicts,B次元官网网址� said a concerned resident, whose granddaughter goes to Ruth King. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 ideal in theory that there wonB次元官网网址檛 be any consumption of anything around there, but thatB次元官网网址檚 the Pollyanna attitude B次元官网网址� they wouldnB次元官网网址檛 let a pot shop in there or a liquor store in there, so why on earth would they put something like that in there?B次元官网网址�
However, Mason assured there is no drug use permitted on the property. B次元官网网址淚t would be rare to have somebody come in and then use intravenously outside. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no evidence to show that anyone is at an increased risk of harm,B次元官网网址� said Mason, noting the organization did meet with SD62 superintendent Jim Cambridge and the principal of Ruth King before the facility opened.
B次元官网网址淚f anything, I would say the opposite because weB次元官网网址檙e here to provide support to people who are living in this community to help improve their health B次元官网网址� WeB次元官网网址檙e not a supervised injection site and have no plans to become one.B次元官网网址�
In the future, there are plans to gradually grow services at the facility to include HIV and hepatitis support, education and treatment in addiction to other health-focused programming.
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