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By Canadian Press

Alberta doctors call for more drug-use sites to reduce strain on acute care resources

Sep 24, 2021 | 12:13 PM

A group of Edmonton physicians says the Alberta government’s overhaul of harm reduction supports for people who use drugs is needlessly straining acute care resources as COVID-19 demands grow.

Members of the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association’s opioid poisoning committee have penned a letter to Premier Jason Kenney, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other health and addictions officials.

It calls for emergency action to address the drug poisoning crisis.

The association says communities do not have adequate resources to respond to spiking drug overdoses, so people who face adverse reactions are needing help from first responders, emergency departments and intensive care units more often.

Under Kenney’s leadership, the province has limited access to a life-saving opioid dependency program and supervised drug-use sites.

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The group is recommending two emergency actions; expanding access to injectable opioid agonist treatment programs, and bolstering supervised consumption and overdose prevention services.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2021

The Canadian Press