Pubdate: Wed, 25 Jun 2014
Source: Mississauga News (CN ON)
Copyright: The Mississauga News 2014
Contact:  http://www.mississauga.com/mississauga-on/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/268
Author: Chris Clay

CITY CITES SAFETY AS A REASON TO LICENSE METHADONE CLINICS

MISSISSAUGA - The City of Mississauga is moving forward on licensing
methadone clinics and pharmacies that dispense it after a proposed
clinic in Port Credit riled up residents.

City councillors today considered a report that recommended licensing
the clinics to "address the health, safety and well-being of persons
by identifying where methadone clinics and pharmacies are located
in=C2=85Mississauga and ensuring that methadone clinics and pharmacies ar
e
complying with all requirements" that have been established at the
federal and provincial levels.

Councillors moved the recommendation, which still needs to be approved
at Council, without any debate or discussion.

According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, methadone is
a synthetic opioid that's often used to treat addiction to other
opioid drugs such as heroin or oxycodone (also known as OxyContin).

Penny Snowdon, who has children attend St. James Catholic Global
Learning Centre, told the Toronto Star in the spring she's opposed to
a clinic that was being proposed for a strip mall at 348 Lakeshore Rd.
E., right behind the school.

"These types of services are needed, I don't deny that," Snowdon told
The Star. "It's the proximity to young children that I'm concerned
about."

Several other parents also told The Star they aren't pleased with the
clinic potentially opening in their neighbourhood.

Meanwhile, the report stated that there are at least four methadone
clinics in Mississauga and two of them have a pharmacy on-site. London
is the only other municipality in Ontario that licenses methadone
clinics and pharmacies.

The staff report went on to state that the bylaw will not permit
license holders to allow "any person to loiter or create a disturbance
on the property where the methadone clinic or pharmacy is located."

Those wishing to open a clinic will need to submit an application that
includes a letter from the Office of Controlled Substances at Health
Canada that shows at least one of the physicians operating under the
licenses has been granted an exemption to the Controlled Drugs and
Substances Act to prescribe methadone. The City will have the power to
revoke or suspend any license they've granted for a variety of reasons
and those decisions can be appealed to the Mississauga Appeal Tribunal.

It will cost $200 for a new license and $172 to renew.

The City plans to start a communications campaign about its licensing
plan. Clinics and pharmacies will be investigated if complaints are
received about them.

- - with files from Torstar Network
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MAP posted-by: Matt