Two of the province’s harm reduction programs aimed at reducing toxic drug-related deaths have not been properly implemented, according to B.C.’s Auditor General.
The two independent audits looked into B.C.’s overdose prevention and supervised consumption services and the other looked at the initial phase of the prescribed safer supply program.
“Many thousands of people in B.C. are grieving the losses of family and friends from the toxic drug supply,” Auditor General Michael Pickup said. “The crisis is also an immense challenge for those working to provide care and support for people who use substances. My team and I have a deep sense of empathy for everyone who has been touched by this continuing tragedy.”
According to the Auditor General, multiple issues were found in both programs operated by the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and the Ministry of Health.
Overdose prevention and supervised consumption services
B.C government officials said the report found that ministries monitored the performance of overdose prevention and supervised consumption services, reported implementation publicly and adjusted funding as needed.
However, there were some oversights:
- The ministries did not adequately respond to barriers such as municipal resistance, site selection and staff hiring and retention challenges.
- A lack of minimal service standards to support consistency in the quality, access and availability.
- Provincial guidance did not always reflect consultations with Indigenous people and those with lived experiences.
- A new program evaluation was needed because of the evolving nature of the drug poisoning crises.
“These deficiencies have impacts on the people who need these services, their families and the healthcare system,” said Pickup. “Overdose prevention and supervised consumption services are critical to saving lives and connecting people to the supports they need.”
The report detailed five recommendations, including improvements to service quality, accessibility, availability and cultural safety for overdose prevention and supervised consumption services.
Prescribed safer supply
Officials said this audit found some positives, including the development of a data collection framework, monitoring and adjusting of funding, and initiating a program evaluation.
However, the monitoring of the initial implementation was not effective in some other areas:
- the ministries’ strategies did not adequately address key barriers, such as the lack of prescribers and the limited types of available drugs.
- Better collaboration is needed between ministries and health authorities, health sector partners, Indigenous Peoples, and people with lived and living experience.
- Public reporting was lacking.
“This is a novel program that required transparency with key partners to build trust,” Pickup said. “We found that the ministries’ approach to collaboration with health-sector partners and public reporting was insufficient.”
This audit has two recommendations for addressing barriers and improving public reporting.
Officials said all seven of the recommendations have been accepted by the ministries.
