Provincial surveillance of Risk Mitigation Guidance prescribing in British Columbia for people at risk of overdose during COVID-19

On March 26th 2020 BC’s Ministry of Health introduced a Risk Mitigation Guidance (RMG) document, permitting physicians to prescribe pharmaceutical alternatives (e.g.opioids, stimulants) to the toxic drug supply to people at risk of overdose. RMG prescriptions were identified using PharmaNet (drug dispensation database) data retrieved from the BCC19C. From March 2020 to June 2021, 8,939 people were identified as having been dispensed RMG medications. The demographics of RMG recipients were consistent with those of people experiencing overdose in BC. Unprecedented overdose rates persist in BC and expanded implementation efforts are required for RMG to reach people at highest risk of overdose. TEAM Heather Palis, Bin Zhao, Amanda Slaunwhite

BC CDC Presenters

10/19/2021 8:35:00 PM