Surrey/Langley – Fraser Health is now offering people who are concerned about their use of opioids access to effective treatment for addictions to opioid drugs in the form of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) in three new locations: Port Moody, White Rock and Langley. These new clinics will immediately provide first-line treatment with medications like Suboxone and methadone.
OAT is administered in a clinical setting and helps to manage the symptoms of cravings and withdrawal, better enabling a person to engage in therapy, counselling and support. People can seek opioid treatment services without a doctor’s referral. In addition to providing clients with medication, these clinics connect people to other health care services and community supports.
Evidence suggests that over time, OAT will better allow a person to engage in further substance use treatment, decrease the risk that a person will use illicit substances, decrease a person’s risk of acquiring HIV, and decrease their risk of a fatal overdose.
The three new OAT clinics will add to the eight that are already operating throughout Fraser Health in Abbotsford, Burnaby, Maple Ridge, Chilliwack, Mission, and Surrey.
In the period from October 2017 to September 2018, the eight existing clinics have connected people to treatment more than 1,300 times.
For more information about what Fraser Health is doing to address the overdose emergency, please visit fraserhealth.ca/overdose.
