Edmonton Area Medical Personnel Association Expresses Concern Over Province’s Response to Opioid Crisis | The Canadian News

The Edmonton Area Medical Personnel Association (EZMSA) said the Alberta government’s response to the increase in the number of deaths from opioid poisoning is “insufficient.”

In a recent letter, EZMSA’s opioid poisoning committee noted that it reviewed recent announcements made by the province between December 4-8.

“I think some of the answers have important positive elements, but perhaps some do not focus on the way the evidence suggests they should be,” said Dr. Stan Houston, a professor of medicine at the University of A in the College of Public Health and member of the EZMSA Opioid Poisoning Committee.

Alberta’s 2021 opioid crisis has been devastating according to EZMSA, which added that an average of four Albertans die every day from an overdose.

“It’s a disaster unfolding in our community,” Houston said.

Over the past week, the province announced several new measures to combat the rise in deaths from opioid poisoning in Alberta.

Houston is glad the province is taking action, but said there is room for improvement.

A week ago, the province announced funding for 8,000 treatment spaces, giving Albertans the opportunity to access treatment and begin recovery each year, with no user fees.

“Traditionally, many Albertans have been unable to access care due to user fees and lack of funds,” Eric Engler, press secretary for the Associate Minister for Mental Health and Addiction, said in a statement.

It’s a move that EZMSA’s opioid poisoning committee supports, but said treatment is not feasible for many Albertans.

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“At any given time, there is probably a fairly small proportion of people at risk who are ready, willing and able to participate in that type of treatment,” Houston explained.

“There really isn’t a lot of evidence for the efficacy (of hospital treatment) in people with opioid dependence.”

Houston noted that it is not just an addiction problem, the main concern is a toxic supply, something he said the association really wants to address.

“What has really changed dramatically in recent years, other than COVID-19, is fentanyl. It is much more powerful and unpredictable. “

The province has previously said that it is forming an MLA panel to look at the pros and cons of prescribing drugs to people who use drugs.

There has also been growing criticism of the Digital Overdose Response System (DORS).

It is an application that alerts first responders if a person who uses substances stops responding to a preset timer.

The province said there have been more than 650 downloads to date with more than 230 registered users.

“The DORS application is working as intended and serving those who need it,” Engler added.

“As it is a confidential and anonymous service, we will not comment further on the use at this time. To be clear, the application is a proven technology and it is successfully achieving its goal. “

Houston said there are data problems and there is no indication that it is working.

“I would really like to have some final results to show that this is safe and effective, which does not exist at this time,” Houston said.

“We would really like to have that information at a fairly granular geographic level, so that we know where the problems are, where the interventions are best located, and that has been clearly deficient.”

The province’s statement also recognized that “addiction involves more than just the use of opioids and includes other substances and processes.”

“The Alberta government is fully focused on treating addiction as a health problem and ensuring that Albertans have access to a comprehensive system of care. This includes everything from prevention, harm reduction and intervention to treatment and recovery, ”the province stated.