British Columbia has ended its take-home “safer supply” model, now requiring opioid recipients to take their prescriptions under medical supervision to prevent drugs from being diverted to organized crime networks.
B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne announced the changes in a Feb. 19 press release, saying that by having health professionals witness the consumption of prescribed opioids, the province will ensure they are used by the intended recipient.
“This will remove the risk of these medications from ending up in the hands of gangs and organized crime,” she said.
The move comes after a ministry of health document leaked earlier this month said a “significant” share of the opioids “freely prescribed by doctors and pharmacists” are not being used by their intended recipient, and that government regulated drugs are being trafficked provincially, nationally, and internationally….