The government is making it easier for patients to access prescription heroin and methadone in its fight against the opioid crisis.
Forthcoming legal changes will allow people suffering from opioid-use disorder to access prescribed heroin outside of a hospital setting, such as addiction clinics, making it easier for them to balance their treatment with daily responsibilities.
The government is also making methadone treatment more accessible, allowing health-care practitioners to prescribe and administer the medicine without needing to apply for an exemption from federal law.
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Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor says removing barriers to treatment is crucial to combat what her department describes as a national public health crisis that continues to devastate families and communities.
Related: Vancouver Island university develops program to help kids cope with overdose crisis
Health Canada estimates more than 4,000 people died in 2017 as a result of the epidemic.
Last month’s federal budget earmarked $231 million to improve access to treatment, address stigma and gather data on the opioid crisis.
The Canadian Press
