Reducing harms from toxic drug supply by delivering supplies directly to those who need them

AS the unregulated toxic drug supply continues to take our friends, family members and loved ones, it is critical that people have timely and equitable access to supplies that reduce the harms from toxic drugs, says Fraser Health.

To better serve people in the Fraser Health region who may not access overdose prevention sites or supervised consumption sites due to stigma or other reasons, Fraser Health has partnered with MTS Logistics and Mountainside Harm Reduction Society to bring harm reduction supplies directly to them through an online portal.

The products are available free of charge to people living in the Fraser Health region and are for personal use only. The portal operates like other online shopping websites, enabling people to effortlessly select products, add them to a virtual basket and complete the order. People at Mountainside package the supplies and MTS Logistics coordinates delivery.

People can order injection and inhalation supplies, Take Home Naloxone kits and fentanyl screening strip kits as well as safer sex supplies. Pamphlets and instructional videos explain how to use the products. Additionally, the portal connects clients to Fraser Health resources including clinical and outreach teams and virtual care options.

“The unregulated toxic drug supply crisis requires us to think outside the box — in this case, deliver the box of harm reduction supplies — to individuals who don’t typically use in-person services,” says Erin Gibson, manager of clinical operations, Toxic Drug Response and Priority Populations, Fraser Health. “There are many reasons people don’t access in-person harm reduction and drug checking services, including lack of transportation and stigma. We’re still encouraging people to have someone witness their consumption wherever possible to reduce the risk of toxic drug deaths.”

This service is one piece of Fraser Health’s broad continuum of hospital and community-based mental health and substance use services available to people in our communities.

Fraser Health supports 12 overdose prevention and supervised consumption sites. There are dozens more locations in shelters and supportive housing where people can use substances in monitored settings.

Fraser Health says it is further helping people to make informed decisions about their substance use with drug-checking services. Portable Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) machines are available at various locations in the region and at some events—such as music festivals—to also help people check their substances. FTIR testing can detect the chemical makeup of many substances, including opioids, stimulants, and other psychoactive drugs.

Harm reduction supplies and fentanyl strip tests are also available free of charge at all Fraser Health overdose prevention sites, supervised consumption sites, harm reduction sites, and public health units.

For people who use substances alone, digital harm reduction tools such as the Lifeguard App, Brave App, and the National Overdose Response Service support people to consume their substances more safely. The Lifeguard app is also available in Punjabi.

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