Pubdate: Mon, 11 Aug 2014
Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Vancouver 24 hrs.
Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/letters
Website: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837
Author: Michael Mui
Page: 3

OPIATE SUBSTITUTION PROGRAM FALLING SHORT: CHIEF MEDICAL HEALTH OFFICER

The province's top doctor says that with 40,000 estimated opiate drug
abusers in B.C., the provincial opioid substitution program may only
be meeting a third of the potential need.

To date, B.C.'s opioid substitution program has 15,754 patients,
according to chief medical health officer Dr. Perry Kendall.

"Currently, some of the best estimates is that there may be 40,000
people using illicit opioid drugs in B.C., whether it's heroin or
other opiates," Kendall said.

"At 15,000, we're somewhere between - we may be meeting just over a
third of the potential need."

The data shows the program has been successful. Mortality rates for
those on opiate substitution are about half of those using street heroin.

And there's the societal cost of addiction, which can be up to $45,000
a year for a single opiate addict - while the cost of treatment for
the average patient over one year is $3,268. But while Kendall
acknowledged "the end of any addictions program is to try to wean
people off of addiction," he said there has yet to be any outcome
reports on whether any patients are successful.

Anecdotally, some try to quit. Others, he said, will remain on opiate
substitution for "many years" while maintaining a productive
lifestyle. Meanwhile, the number of patients increases every year -
the data shows patient numbers are up 66% since 2007-2008 - as does
the cost, which exceeded $51 million to administer the program last
year.
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MAP posted-by: Matt