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Harm reduction: how homeless people are getting their drugs during a COVID quarantine (BCCSU)

(Photo credit: Halifax Examiner)

A Nova Scotia family doctor says we need to have uncomfortable but important conversations around harm reduction initiatives that support homeless populations, especially those in quarantine. 

“Safe supply and this notion of safe supply is still a fairly nuanced practice. There’s a lot of debate, and there should be, because it’s not clearcut and it’s not a willy nilly decision. This is not something that we would want every physician to start doing,” said Dr. Leah Genge.

“This is for clinicians that have a very precise experience with this, and also for a very specific group of people. But even within the addiction community it’s difficult to talk about, to find a national community of practice around this because there’s some varying opinions about that and it’s not necessarily a universally supported practice.”

Using British Columbia Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU guidelines) for safer supply, they talked to people about their needs and ensured they had that safe supply to use for the two-week quarantine period. 

Click here for the full story on Halifax Examiner.

Similar stories can be found on the following media outlets: The London Free Press, Everything GP and capitalcurrent.ca.

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