New study finds medications to treat alcohol addiction underused
July 25, 2023
Medications for alcohol use disorder are underutilized in British Columbia, despite their safety and effectiveness, according to a new study published today in the journal Addiction. The study found that between 2015 and 2019 fewer than 5% of British Columbians who met the criteria for moderate to severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) received medicati...
New resource to help people with severe alcohol addiction
July 18, 2023
New national guidance to help people with severe alcohol addiction has been published by the BC Centre on Substance Use in partnership with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. The first-ever Canadian guidance for Managed Alcohol Programs (MAPs) has been developed to support scaling up of these evidence-based programs for treating sev...
Prescribed safer supply dispensing machine can facilitate access, reduce overdose risk: Study
May 14, 2023
Dispensing pharmaceutical-grade opioids through a biometric dispensing machine can be an effective low-barrier model for the delivery of prescribed safer supply, according to research published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). However, research authors caution, the program has limitations which should be considered before e...
Report: Youth voices on substance use provide recommendations to care providers in BC
December 8, 2022
Young people who use substances, particularly those experiencing homelessness, face unique challenges accessing services and need tailored care, according to a new report. More than 10,000 people have died from toxic drug poisoning in BC since the declaration of a public health emergency in 2016, nearly 1,800 of whom were young people under the age...
Patients may be at higher risk of overdose when opioid therapy for pain is discontinued
December 1, 2022
Study suggests enhanced guidance for opioid prescribing needed to manage pain, reduce risk of overdose Discontinuing opioids prescribed for chronic pain was associated with increased risk of overdose, according to a new study from the BC Centre on Substance Use and University of British Columbia-Okanagan published today in PLOS Medicine. In order t...
