Pubdate: Wed, 28 May 2003
Source: Surrey Now (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc., A Canwest Company
Contact:  http://www.thenownewspaper.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1462
Author: Ted Colley

METHADONE COMPROMISE REACHED

Surrey has reached an agreement with provincial medical and pharmacy 
officials that will keep lists of the city's methadone patients out of the 
hands of police.

Council approved a bylaw Monday that still allows the city to take action 
against pharmacists who break the rules when dispensing methadone, but no 
longer requires druggists keep lists of their patients for police 
inspection without a search warrant.

Council has been embroiled in controversy since the original bylaw was 
introduced early this year. City politicians were attacked for overstepping 
their authority and threatening to violate privacy and doctor-patient 
confidentiality.

"I hope that when the next controversial issue comes up, we do it without 
enraging half of the community and terrifying part of the community and 
alienating part of the community," Coun. Penny Priddy said in supporting 
the watered-down bylaw.

Surrey is trying to reduce the number of methadone dispensaries - 
pharmacies whose principal business is the sale of the drug used to wean 
addicts off heroin - in Whalley. Authorities also say the illegal trade in 
methadone on Surrey streets is contributing to crime in the city.

The city initially tried to ban "carries," takeout methadone allowed for 
some patients, altogether because police said much of the drug was being 
sold or traded on the black market. Some druggists are accused of giving 
unauthorized carries in order to boost business in the lucrative program.

Lacking the authority to ban carries, Surrey shifted focus and began 
pushing for the patient lists.

Now, Surrey has agreements with the colleges representing physicians and 
pharmacists that city politicians believe will achieve greater control of 
the provincial methadone program.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons will conduct bi-annual audits of 
doctors to make sure they are prescribing carries appropriately.

The College of Pharmacists has agreed to conduct undercover investigations 
at pharmacies looking for illegal activity and to inform the city when 
violations are discovered. The college will also work to limit to 30 the 
number of methadone patients served by each pharmacy. Violators can be 
fined and lose their business licences.

"This bylaw maintains the intent of the methadone program," Priddy said.

Coun. Dianne Watts said the city's intent all along was to force the 
province to deal with the problems created by what she calls lax control of 
the methadone program. The various incarnations of the methadone bylaw were 
designed to put pressure on Victoria to correct the situation.

"We never wanted to interfere with methadone patients. We just wanted the 
province to live up to its responsibilities," Watts said.

Coun. Judy Higginbotham agreed.

"Sometimes you have to use a big hammer to get a solution," she said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart