British Columbia Centre on Substance Use

02/06/2025

Keep up to date with the BCCSU here.
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Leading substance use research, education, and care in British Columbia.

01/16/2025

Announcing Season 5 of the Addiction Practice Pod: Substance Use Care for Populations with Specific Needs and Care Considerations!

The first episode of our new season, “Navigating substance use care for construction workers”, is now streaming on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Check out the Addiction Practice Pod here: https://buff.ly/40jsCZp

In this episode, journalist David P. Ball and occupational addiction medicine physician and Supreme Court expert Dr. Deborah Kason discuss how to navigate substance use care for people working in construction and other safety-sensitive jobs. We also hear from Greg Hemminger, Tailgate Toolkit coordinator, and Dr. John Koehn, addiction medicine physician.

In this six-episode season, we'll hear from clinicians, researchers, and people with lived and living experience of substance use about a range of topics. Episodes will be released every other Thursday, starting January 16. Topics include perinatal substance use care, culturally tailored care for South Asian people who use substances, and more!

01/07/2025

Join the January 23 BC ECHO on Substance Use CME accredited session presented by Dr. Neasa Coll to learn about Transitions between Oral Pharmacotherapies for Opioid Use Disorder!

Register at https://buff.ly/3Pp32Ng

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
1) describe characteristics of pharmacotherapies for opioid use disorder (OUD) and evaluate whether a potential transition is appropriate for a given client
2) describe how to safely and effectively transition a client between a partial agonist (buprenorphine/naloxone) and full agonists (methadone or slow-release oral morphine) buprenorphine/naloxone, methadone, and slow-release oral morphine, and
3) describe how to safely and effectively transition a client between full agonists (methadone and slow-release oral morphine)

Catch up on previous ECHO sessions at https://buff.ly/4h1z3H6

Stay up-to-date on the latest topics in substance use care by listening to the Addiction Practice Pod, the BCCSU podcast where health care providers discuss approaches and practical tips: https://buff.ly/4fN3hga

11/07/2024

Join the November 21 BC ECHO on Substance Use CME accredited session presented by Dr. Jeff Beselt to learn about Substance Use Disorder Care in Rural and Remote Communities!

Register at https://buff.ly/4eiPZqP

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
1) describe challenges and opportunities associated with substance use disorder care in rural and remote communities
2) identify strategies for supporting harm reduction in contexts where services are geographically dispersed,
3) describe approaches to support clients to stay in their communities when accessing treatment, and
4) discuss innovations to deliver care, including the implementation of virtual options

Catch up on previous ECHO sessions at https://buff.ly/3NZqv7e

Stay up-to-date on the latest topics in substance use care by listening to the Addiction Practice Pod, the BCCSU podcast where health care providers discuss approaches and practical tips: https://buff.ly/4epbarc

10/02/2024

Join the October 24 BC ECHO on Substance Use CME accredited session presented by Dr. Janine Hardial to learn about Considerations for Treating Pregnant People with Opioid Use Disorder!

Register at https://buff.ly/47PvikG

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
1) understand key care principles for this client population,
2) describe the comparative advantages and disadvantages of available opioid agonist treatment options in pregnancy including buprenorphine/naloxone, methadone, and slow-release oral morphine,
3) identify factors that would require referral to specialist services, and
4) describe general considerations for peri-partum and post-partum care planning for parental-infant dyad

Catch up on previous ECHO sessions at https://buff.ly/4eEfxPQ

Stay up-to-date on the latest topics in substance use care by listening to the Addiction Practice Pod, the BCCSU podcast where health care providers discuss approaches and practical tips: https://buff.ly/4dw72VO

09/09/2024

: Today is international Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day. It's a day to raise awareness of , improve prevention, and increase access to diagnosis and support for individuals with FASD.

The BCCSU has developed several tools to help clinicians better support pregnant patients and reduce risk of FASD, including the alcohol and breastmilk/chestmilk calculator.

These tools and other resources for both clinicians and people who need help with their drinking are available at https://buff.ly/47neLo4.

- Alcohol and breastmilk/chestmilk calculator: https://buff.ly/4glF9CS
- Additional healthcare provider resources: https://buff.ly/4gllbYE
- Family & caregiver resources: https://buff.ly/4gllbYE

09/05/2024

The Road to Recovery program began as a vision to make the full continuum of substance use care available in a coordinated and timely way.

Since its launch at St. Paul’s Hospital in 2023, the program has served 486 patients. When fully implemented in 2025, the program will have 50 treatment and recovery beds, alongside a central access line, the Rapid Access Addictions Clinic (RAAC), and a range of harm reduction services. It will soon expand province-wide.

“It is nothing short of a miracle.”

Read the full story in the Vancouver Sun: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/new-st-pauls-program-longterm-addiction-recovery-vancouver-hospital

The expanding program at the Vancouver hospital provides care and connection to services for those with substance use disorders

09/03/2024

The Road to Recovery program began as a vision to make the full continuum of substance use care available in a coordinated and timely way.

Since its launch at St. Paul’s Hospital in 2023, the program has served 486 patients. When fully implemented in 2025, the program will have 50 treatment and recovery beds, alongside a central access line, the Rapid Access Addictions Clinic (RAAC), and a range of harm reduction services. It will soon expand province-wide.

“It is nothing short of a miracle.”

Read the full story in the Vancouver Sun:
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/new-st-pauls-program-longterm-addiction-recovery-vancouver-hospital

The expanding program at the Vancouver hospital provides care and connection to services for those with substance use disorders

09/03/2024

The Road to Recovery program began as a vision to make the full continuum of substance use care available in a coordinated and timely way.

Since its launch at St. Paul’s Hospital in 2023, the program has served 486 patients. When fully implemented in 2025, the program will have 50 treatment and recovery beds, alongside a central access line, the Rapid Access Addictions Clinic (RAAC), and a range of harms eduction services. It will soon expand province-wide.

“It is nothing short of a miracle.”



Read the full story in the Vancouver Sun:

The expanding program at the Vancouver hospital provides care and connection to services for those with substance use disorders

08/28/2024

The BC ECHO on Substance Use community of practice starts back up in September.

Be sure to register for our September session (details below) and check our upcoming schedule here: https://lnkd.in/grfYfQye

Join the September 26 BC ECHO on Substance Use CME accredited session presented by Dr. James Wang to learn about Considerations for Treating Youth Who Use Substances.

Register at https://bit.ly/4clFsL5

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
1) discuss the clinical differences between adults, young adults, and adolescents who are using substances,
2) describe approaches to screen, diagnose, and treat substance use disorders in youth,
3) describe barriers and opportunities specific to engaging youth in clinical care, and
4) apply key recommendations from youth voices on treatment

Catch up on previous ECHO sessions at https://bit.ly/3AVlnKu

Stay up-to-date on the latest topics in substance use care by listening to the Addiction Practice Pod, the BCCSU podcast where health care providers discuss approaches and practical tips: https://bit.ly/3vO5WFf

06/10/2024

BCCSU and UBC researchers Christian Barborini and Trevor Goodyear talk about the research behind the free photo exhibit “Q***r Eyes, Q***r Lives,” open from June 10 -29 as part of Vancouver’s Q***r Arts Festival.

Featuring 60 photos, the exhibit free and open to the public at the SUM gallery.

Register to attend tonight's opening event and the upcoming Artist Talk on June 19: https://buff.ly/4cxttKz

Christian Barborini (left) and Trevor Goodyear (right) Two-Spirit, Le***an, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Q***r and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and other sexual and gender minority (2SLGBTQIA+) youth experience inequities in substance use. Research has historically emphasized the

03/29/2024

[NEW] The latest episode of the Addiction Practice Pod: "Indigenous perspectives on supporting young people who use substances"

In this episode, award-winning journalist David P. Ball and award-winning family physician Dr. Robert Fox speak with Kali Sedgemore, the president of the Coalition of Peers Dismantling the Drug War and a skilled harm reductionist with a focus on supporting youth. Kali is from ‘Namgis First Nation, a small remote island on Vancouver Island North, and Dr. Fox is a member of the Blood Tribe in what’s colonially known as southern Alberta.

Together, they discuss reasons for youth substance use and considerations for providers when meeting and caring for young people who use drugs. Kali also speaks to the intersection between Indigenous identity and safer access to substance use care.

Streaming on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

https://bcechoonsubstanceuse.ca/podcast/indigenous-perspectives-on-supporting-young-people-who-use-substances/

[Image: Addiction Practice Pod, Season 4 Episode 5: Indigenous perspectives on supporting young people who use substances with Kali Sedgemore]