A B.C. government agency is pitching Health Canada on a “non-prescriber” co-op model for the delivery of safe supply, B.C.’s Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside revealed under questioning from BC United Opposition critic, Elenore Sturko in March.
The pilot project will be co-led by the BC Centre for Substance Use and the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser health authorities.
BCCSU is the province’s harm reduction-focused, government-funded health agency that proports to be a research institute, but has yet to post much if anything negative about the program despite posting numerous studies and papers on safe supply.
Then, in early July, the former federal addictions minister, Bennett, moved the needle toward the non-prescriber vision when she gave active drug users a bigger role in safe supply distribution. Bennett announced $20 million for 42 community-led projects across Canada, including several that will increase access to fentanyl patches, hydromorphone pills, injectable heroin, and methamphetamine supplies.
So far, the federal Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) has funnelled nearly $500 million in funding to mostly harm reduction initiatives. Of those, a substantial majority appear to buttress the advocacy, practice, marketing and distribution of safe supply.