A 91裸聊视频渟ignificant portion91裸聊视频� of opioids prescribed by doctors and pharmacists in British Columbia are being diverted, and prescribed alternatives are being trafficked provincially, nationally and internationally, a Ministry of Health investigative unit says.
The leaked briefing that the unit provided for police that was distributed by the Opposition B.C. Conservatives also revealed the ministry has been conducting an investigation into an alleged scheme involving 91裸聊视频渋ncentives91裸聊视频� paid by dozens of pharmacies to patients, doctors and housing providers.
Next steps will include targeting of 91裸聊视频渟pecific pharmacies91裸聊视频� by law enforcement agencies, it says.
B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne, who said the investigative unit was made up of former RCMP officers, confirmed the internal briefing91裸聊视频檚 authenticity on Wednesday and told reporters in a virtual meeting that it was 91裸聊视频渄isappointing91裸聊视频� it was leaked and the investigation potentially compromised.
91裸聊视频淚 want to acknowledge that we know that this is happening,91裸聊视频� she said of opioid diversion. 91裸聊视频淭hese allegations are here. There91裸聊视频檚 absolutely no denial of it. There91裸聊视频檚 no diminishing of it, and there should be no acceptance of it. That91裸聊视频檚 why we91裸聊视频檙e taking the actions that we are.91裸聊视频�
Elenore Sturko, a Conservative MLA and critic of the solicitor general and public safety, said in a statement that Premier David Eby, his ministers, and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry had long 91裸聊视频渄enied and downplayed91裸聊视频� the issue of diversion of so-called safe supply drugs.
However, there was now 91裸聊视频渘o doubt that the NDP government is responsible for fuelling addiction, deaths, enriching organized crime, and facilitating international drug trafficking,91裸聊视频� she said.
The document says of diversion that a 91裸聊视频渟ignificant portion of the opioids being freely prescribed by doctors and pharmacists are not being consumed by their intended recipients.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淲hen I first raised concerns with diversion in early 2023 in the B.C. legislature, the government chalked it up as misinformation,91裸聊视频� Sturko said in an interview.
She added that she was 91裸聊视频渃onfident that it91裸聊视频檚 time for the premier to take action and immediately call a moratorium on unwitnessed safe supply.91裸聊视频�
Unwitnessed safe supply is when pharmaceutical-grade drugs such as opioids are prescribed for users who can take them away to use when and where they choose.
Former solicitor general Mike Farnworth and the RCMP91裸聊视频檚 commanding officer in B.C. both said in March last year that there was no evidence of 91裸聊视频渨idespread91裸聊视频� diversion of safe-supply drugs.
Henry said in a report on safe supply last July that more research was needed 91裸聊视频渢o assess the degree to which diversion is occurring91裸聊视频� but added that 91裸聊视频渁necdotes may not reflect the experience of most people who are prescribed alternatives to unregulated drugs.91裸聊视频�
The internal document emerged as Canada faces the threat of a trade war with the United States, which demands efforts be made to stop fentanyl from crossing the border.
The 38-page document is undated but includes data up to December suggesting the amount of the opioid hydromorphone dispensed to treat drug users has soared by about 20 times in recent years, with about 20 million pills provided from 2022 to 2024.
The slideshow-style briefing is titled 91裸聊视频淭he State of PharmaCare91裸聊视频� referring to the province91裸聊视频檚 publicly funded program for prescription drugs.
It says some pharmacies are alleged to be 91裸聊视频渙ffering incentives to clients91裸聊视频� with more than 60 pharmacies identified, and that some 91裸聊视频渃ommunity housing staff91裸聊视频� require tenants to go to certain pharmacies for their prescriptions.
The document says some pharmacies are trying to maximize their dispensing fees by offering incentives. Other participants in the alleged schemes include doctors, assisted living residences and organized criminals, it says.
It also includes photos of drugs used in the prescribed alternatives program and in opioid agonist treatments, as well as prescription packaging and items described as 91裸聊视频渧ehicle search results.91裸聊视频�
Osborne said only a small minority of pharmacies were alleged to be involved in the illicit diversion schemes.
91裸聊视频淭o put this in scale, you know, we have about 1,400 community pharmacies in British Columbia, and this is a very small proportion of those where those allegations have taken place, but we need to let the investigations play up,91裸聊视频� Osborne said.
Osborne said the ministry will look at 91裸聊视频渁ll actions that need to be taken to increase safeguards and to ensure that the treatment that people are getting is going to the right people, and that we are helping to connect them to the support that they need to recover from substance abuse addiction.91裸聊视频�
The document says pharmacies target PharmaCare policies by seeking to maximize their dispensing fee of up to $11,000 per patient each year and that proceeds are often used to pay the incentives.
It said PharmaCare91裸聊视频檚 total dispensing fees soared to roughly $350 million in 2024, almost triple that paid 20 years prior.
