Concerns Over Safe Supply Pharmacies in London

Nearly two months after a councillor in London raised concerns about how safe supply medications are handled at some downtown pharmacies, Coun. David Ferreira is still waiting for action from the pharmacy regulatory authority.

Coun. David Ferreira expressed his worries in a letter to provincial officials back in February, warning that medications dispensed in certain downtown pharmacies are being diverted and resold, creating issues outside these pharmacies and affecting nearby communities.

Ontario’s regulatory body for pharmacists states they are still looking into the matter. Ferreira mentioned he hasn’t received any feedback yet.

In response to , the Ontario College of Pharmacists noted they’ve acknowledged Ferreira’s letter and are “in the process of gathering information to better understand the situation and the nature of the concerns that have been raised as they relate to the delivery of pharmacy care to the community.”

There’s no timeline available for when their investigation will conclude.

“This process is currently underway; however we cannot provide an estimate on how long it will take or what the outcome will be,” they stated.

Dr. Alex Summers, London’s medical officer of health, said he’s had discussions with provincial officials regarding these pharmacies.

“While we don’t oversee pharmacy or physician operations like these, we’ve definitely been communicating with provincial partners about what best practices could look like for safer supply programs,” said Summers.

Motion urges city to ask province for action

Ferreira also has a motion coming up at council’s Strategic and Priorities Committee (SPPC) meeting on Tuesday.

This motion asks Mayor Josh Morgan to push provincial officials to evaluate how pharmacies supplying hydromorphone, methadone, and other safe-supply medications operate.

Ferreira’s motion additionally encourages the mayor to urge the province to shift away from profit-driven models of providing safe-supply medicine. Instead, he advocates for a “publicly funded and publicly operated model fully integrated with the healthcare system.”

The safe supply treatment approach aims to assist patients in recovering from addiction by offering pharmaceutical-grade opiates prescribed by doctors. Supporters argue that this method allows patients to reduce their opiate use while steering clear of dangerous street drugs like fentanyl.

However, there are critics who claim it’s expensive and merely sustains addiction.

Private pharmacies dispensing safe-supply medications often offer consultations with doctors through video calls, allowing clients to receive both prescriptions and medication during one visit on-site.

In February spoke with two pharmacists who run Medpoint Care Pharmacy located on Dundas Place. Both affirmed that their program includes extensive safeguards against medication diversion.

Adequate support is essential

Dr. Alex Summers is the medical officer of health for the Middlesex-London Health Unit. (Kate Dubinski/CBC)

Summers acknowledged that diversion can be an issue. He stated that when using safe supply treatments, it needs comprehensive support services alongside it-support that’s often lacking.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for this opioid crisis,” said Summers. “We need various approaches; a safer supply program might help a small number of individuals-but it must be paired with additional supports and proper oversight to minimize diversion risks.”

Downtown businesses facing challenges

Ferreira’s upcoming motion has received 30 written responses so far.

Among them is a letter from Vicki Smith, interim executive director of Downtown London. Smith expressed her support for safe-supply models but pointed out that without sufficient back-end support systems, they’re causing difficulties for businesses in downtown areas.

“These impacts include loitering, public drug use, littering, disorderly conduct, and other antisocial behaviors undermining business operations as well as employee and customer experiences while diminishing public trust in our core areas,” she wrote.

The SPPC committee meets Tuesday at 1 p. m.

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