RNs begin prescribing addiction treatment medications, a Canadian first
February 8, 2021
The first cohort of registered nurses (RNs) is on track to begin prescribing medications for treatment of opioid use disorder, as part of B.C.’s leading-edge overdose response plan. Thirty RNs and registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) will complete their training this month to prescribe buprenorphine/naloxone (commonly known as Suboxone), which is...
First-of-its-kind national guideline to support people with alcohol use disorder
January 29, 2021
New national resources to give clinicians the tools they need to better prevent, treat, and reduce harms from alcohol use disorder in Canada will soon be available, just as reports suggest Canadians are consuming more alcohol than ever. Health Canada is aiming to fill the evidence-to-practice gap through the development of the first-ever national c...
Professorship to advance addiction medicine in BC announced in honour of Philip Owen’s legacy
January 15, 2021
Closing the evidence-to-practice gap to strengthen the addiction treatment system in BC so patients can get the care they need will be the focus of Dr. Nadia Fairbairn, the inaugural Philip Owen Professor in Addiction Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). The Professorship is named after former Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen, who was i...
Cannabis could reduce fentanyl use, reduce overdose risk: study
December 17, 2020
New research suggests that cannabis use by people in care for opioid addiction might improve their treatment outcomes and reduce their risk of being exposed to fentanyl in the contaminated unregulated drug supply. In a paper published today in the peer-reviewed journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers from the BC Centre on Substance Use (BC...
BCCSU statement on plan to decriminalize simple possession of drugs in Vancouver
November 18, 2020
The BC Centre on Substance Us strongly supports the motion before City Council to apply for a section 56 exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) for implementation and evaluation of the decriminalization of people who use drugs. Research clearly demonstrates that strategies that emphasize criminalization and drug law enforcement...
