Pubdate: Tue, 18 Nov 2008
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2008 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact:  http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Author: Linda Nguyen,  Canwest News Service
Cited: The cost-effectiveness of Vancouver's supervised injection facility
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/179/11/1143
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Supervised Injection Sites)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/insite

INSITE CAN SAVE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM $20M: STUDY

Canada's only supervised drug injection site can save the Canadian
health care system as much as $20-million and substantially increase a
population's life span over a 10-year period in Vancouver, according
to a study published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The study, which used a computer simulation model, measured the
projected impacts on Vancouver in the next decade with and without its
controversial Insite facility.

It found that when the only impact of such a facility is assumed to be
a decrease in the prevalence of needle sharing by drug users, there is
a projected net savings of nearly $14-million over 10 years.

The facility would also increase the population's life span, resulting
in what the study calls a gain of 920 life years compared with a model
that had no supervised injection site.

When additional factors such as survival rates, the incidence of HIV
and hepatitis C infections, and the frequency of referrals to social
services were included, the financial savings rose to as much as
$20-million, with the number of life years gained peaking at 1,070.

A total of 1,191 cases of HIV infection and 54 cases of hepatitis C
infection could be averted over a decade with the operation of the
facility, according to the study, authored by Dr. Ahmed Bayoumi with
St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and the University of Toronto, along
with Gregory Zaric with the University of Western Ontario in London.

"The conclusion that my co-author and I would want to put forward is
that we believe that Insite does provide good value for money, if you
were to look at the cost effectiveness," Mr. Zaric said. "This study
ultimately brings one more piece of information when deciding the fate
of Insite."

The study also quoted a number of other studies over the years that
have observed the impact of the safe injection site.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin