Had Al Fowler known more about his rights before enrolling in British Columbia91裸聊视频檚 methadone treatment program in 2010, he may have avoided what he describes as a two-year 91裸聊视频渉orror-show91裸聊视频� while living in Vancouver91裸聊视频檚 Downtown Eastside.
Fowler says the stigma and exploitation he experienced is part of what inspired him to co-author a handbook on how to navigate the province91裸聊视频檚 opioid-substitution therapy program.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 really important that we get this out from our point of view, how we see it, how it is to us, because that91裸聊视频檚 how the guy who91裸聊视频檚 going in to the clinic is going to see it,91裸聊视频� said Fowler, president of the B.C. Association for People on Methadone, who has been in the program for seven years.
91裸聊视频淧art of this booklet was to help people navigate that, to let them know that they have rights, because it91裸聊视频檚 just another medication 91裸聊视频� and we shouldn91裸聊视频檛 be penalized for that.91裸聊视频�
The 43-page booklet, titled Patients Helping Patients Understand Opioid-Substitution Therapy, was co-ordinated by the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C and funded by the provincial Health Ministry. It is scheduled for release next week but is available on the centre91裸聊视频檚 website.
Annual meetings that were started by the government in 2013 led to the creation of the handbook, which taps into the experiences of the seven people who wrote the guide.
Co-author Garth Mullins said the team wanted to ensure the handbook had a 91裸聊视频渟treet-level perspective91裸聊视频� and provided the 91裸聊视频渦nvarnished truth91裸聊视频� behind the program.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not trying to give people a sales pitch,91裸聊视频� Mullins said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 trying to give people the straight goods on what it is like to try and get yourself out of the hole of addiction.91裸聊视频�
Marginalized people are often left on their own to figure out a 91裸聊视频渧ery cumbersome and bureaucratic91裸聊视频� process, Mullins added.
The booklet comes with a glossary of terms used in treatment. Sections of it also deal with taking methadone during pregnancy, travelling while on treatment and the challenge of getting medication while in jail or in hospital.
Dan Reist, an assistant director at the addictions research centre, said the organization provided a support role and left most of the content creation to the authors.
It91裸聊视频檚 important that doctors, pharmacists and policy-makers embrace the handbook so it reaches as many people as possible, Reist said.
91裸聊视频淲e need the system to see this as a resource that has value,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 why it91裸聊视频檚 important that we not poke them 芒鈧� but at the same time hold their feet to the fire.91裸聊视频�
The handbook cost about $15,000 to produce, which included paying the co-authors for their time but does not cover its distribution to places like pharmacies and doctors91裸聊视频� offices, he added.
He believes the handbook is one of the world91裸聊视频檚 first. The only similar one Reist could find was in New Zealand.
Reist and others involved in the project saw it as part of a larger push to include patients91裸聊视频� voices in the development of programs and policies.
91裸聊视频淗ealth is not about experts fixing broken people,91裸聊视频� he said.
Bill Nelles, a retired addiction counsellor based on Vancouver Island, said the handbook attempts to show the provincial government that people in drug-recovery programs want to be involved in matters that concern them.
91裸聊视频淵ou may have heard, 91裸聊视频楴othing about us without us,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� said Nelles, who has been on a methadone program for 40 years. 91裸聊视频淏ut we91裸聊视频檙e not there yet.91裸聊视频�
Mullins said those in methadone recovery dream of the day they help inform policy and budgetary decisions.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 tired of seeing people die from bad drug policy, as much as from bad drugs,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭oday we91裸聊视频檙e writing the manual. Tomorrow I hope we91裸聊视频檙e writing the legislation.91裸聊视频�
Geordon Omand, The Canadian Press
