National

B.C. ends take-home safer supply of opioids to stop criminal diversion

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 19 Feb, 2025 02:17 PM

British Columbia's health minister has announced that the province is changing its safer-supply anti-addiction program to a witnessed model, in which users will be watched as they consume the drugs.

Josie Osborne says the "significant" change to end the take-home model will be difficult for some, but is designed to reduce the criminal diversion of prescribed alternatives to illicit street drugs.

Osborne says health care workers will watch the consumption of prescribed alternatives, including the opioid hydromorphone, with the change effective immediately.

She also provided an update on an investigation into "bad actors" among pharmacies that are allegedly contributing to diversion and paying illegal kickbacks to drug users and doctors.

Osborne says roughly 60 pharmacies are believed to be involved and "every single one of them" will be investigated.

The announcements come about two weeks after the release of a leaked Ministry of Health briefing for police that said a "significant portion" of opioids prescribed in B.C. were being diverted, and prescribed alternatives were being trafficked provincially, nationally and internationally.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Metro Vancouver to stay cold for at least a week with wintry road conditions

This week's wintry blast of snow in Metro Vancouver will likely remain on the ground, with below-average temperatures forecasted well into next week. Environment Canada meteorologist Alyssa Charbonneau says while temperatures may moderate slightly during the daytime over the weekend, whatever's melted will likely refreeze at night.

Metro Vancouver to stay cold for at least a week with wintry road conditions

B.C. puts its response to U.S. tariffs on hold after 30-day delay

British Columbia Premier David Eby says his government will pause its response to threatened American tariffs after a 30-day reprieve was negotiated today between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump.

B.C. puts its response to U.S. tariffs on hold after 30-day delay

Ontario PCs pledge billions in stimulus that would flow after election if tariffs hit

Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford is defending simultaneously wearing two hats — campaigning in a snap election he called and taking anti-tariff actions as premier. This is a bad time for Ontario to find itself in an election, the other political party leaders say, amid the chaos of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats.

Ontario PCs pledge billions in stimulus that would flow after election if tariffs hit

B.C. wildfire crews return from California deployment to combat L.A. fires

More than 30 firefighters from British Columbia's Wildfire Service have returned home from a deployment fighting large fires that destroyed thousands of homes around Southern California. The Ministry of Forests say the crews are part of two separate groups, the first consisting of 13 technical specialists who were deployed on Jan. 11 to support the effort to combat the Palisades wildfire in L.A.

B.C. wildfire crews return from California deployment to combat L.A. fires

B.C. Court of Appeal orders new trial for husband in 'rape role-play' case

The B.C. Court of Appeal says a man convicted of sexually assaulting his wife deserves a new trial because messages between the pair about a consensual "rape role-play" scenario were wrongfully excluded as evidence. The ruling released on Friday says the complainant and accused, who can't be identified under a publication ban, were married but separated at the time of the alleged sexual assault in November 2019.

B.C. Court of Appeal orders new trial for husband in 'rape role-play' case

6 charged in illicit drug trafficking

Police in Burnaby say six people are facing a combined total of 36 charges related to illicit drug trafficking. A statement from the R-C-M-P says they were part of a "particularly violent" drug-trafficking organization with links to the Lower Mainland gang conflict.