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Ministre de la Sant
et des Soins de longue dure
Bureau du ministre
th
HLTC-2976IT-2016-290
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Ontario has a long-standing and strong commitment to harm reduction programs, which
have proven successful at saving lives and reducing costs to the health care system. One
example is the Needle Exchange Program through which Ontarios local Boards of Health
are required to provide access to harm reduction supplies. We have also taken a number of
steps towards addressing the opioid situation in the province:
Legislation has been enacted to promote appropriate prescribing and dispensing of
opioids [see Narcotics Safety and Awareness Act, 2010, and Safeguarding our
Communities Act (Patch for Patch Return Policy), 2015].
Our Narcotics Monitoring System (NMS), in place since 2012, allows the province to
monitor the prescribing and dispensing of prescription opioids.
High-dose opioids will soon be delisted from Ontarios Drug Benefit Formulary to
promote tapering where necessary for individuals receiving high daily doses of these
products.
The Ministry has increased access to publicly funded naloxone.
We recently announced Ontarios first comprehensive Opioid strategy which includes
harm reduction as an essential component.
However, more can be done to tackle the opioid issue in the community level. The City of
Torontos proposal to add supervised injection services to three health care facilities will
complement the citys continuum of harm reduction programs. The results of local feasibility
studies and needs assessments indicate that in 2015, the three facilities identified in the
Toronto proposal distributed 75% of the needles provided through the Toronto needle
exchange programs. The SIS facilities will be integrated directly into facilities staffed by
health care providers and social service workers, and therefore offer access to primary care,
counselling, treatment services on site, as well as provide clients with referrals to other
treatment services in the province.
It is my opinion that the proposal appears logical and supported by evidence. Furthermore,
it aligns with Ontarios Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care and our strategic plans to
address the growing concerns with opioid misuse and overdose.
More than anything, I believe these initiatives around supervised injection services are an
opportunity to bring together all jurisdictions to tackle addictions and narcotics misuse. I look
forward to the opportunity to work further with you and my counterparts in other provinces
and territories on this pressing issue.
Yours sincerely,