Had Al Fowler known more about his rights before enrolling in British Columbia含羞草研究社檚 methadone treatment program in 2010, he may have avoided what he describes as a two-year 含羞草研究社渉orror-show含羞草研究社� while living in Vancouver含羞草研究社檚 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 province含羞草研究社檚 opioid-substitution therapy program.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 really important that we get this out from our point of view, how we see it, how it is to us, because that含羞草研究社檚 how the guy who含羞草研究社檚 going in to the clinic is going to see it,含羞草研究社� said Fowler, president of the B.C. Association for People on Methadone, who has been in the program for seven years.
含羞草研究社淧art of this booklet was to help people navigate that, to let them know that they have rights, because it含羞草研究社檚 just another medication 含羞草研究社� and we shouldn含羞草研究社檛 be penalized for that.含羞草研究社�
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 centre含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社渟treet-level perspective含羞草研究社� and provided the 含羞草研究社渦nvarnished truth含羞草研究社� behind the program.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not trying to give people a sales pitch,含羞草研究社� Mullins said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 trying to give people the straight goods on what it is like to try and get yourself out of the hole of addiction.含羞草研究社�
Marginalized people are often left on their own to figure out a 含羞草研究社渧ery cumbersome and bureaucratic含羞草研究社� 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.
It含羞草研究社檚 important that doctors, pharmacists and policy-makers embrace the handbook so it reaches as many people as possible, Reist said.
含羞草研究社淲e need the system to see this as a resource that has value,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 why it含羞草研究社檚 important that we not poke them 芒鈧� but at the same time hold their feet to the fire.含羞草研究社�
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 doctors含羞草研究社� offices, he added.
He believes the handbook is one of the world含羞草研究社檚 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 patients含羞草研究社� voices in the development of programs and policies.
含羞草研究社淗ealth is not about experts fixing broken people,含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淵ou may have heard, 含羞草研究社楴othing about us without us,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� said Nelles, who has been on a methadone program for 40 years. 含羞草研究社淏ut we含羞草研究社檙e not there yet.含羞草研究社�
Mullins said those in methadone recovery dream of the day they help inform policy and budgetary decisions.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 tired of seeing people die from bad drug policy, as much as from bad drugs,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭oday we含羞草研究社檙e writing the manual. Tomorrow I hope we含羞草研究社檙e writing the legislation.含羞草研究社�
Geordon Omand, The Canadian Press
