RNAO welcomed the government’s long-awaited decision to allow sites offering supervised injection and overdose prevention services to continue operating.

RNAO CEO Doris Grinspun attended a media conference on Oct. 22 where Health Minister Christine Elliott said she reviewed the evidence and saw first-hand the work RNs, NPs and other health workers are doing to combat the growing opioid crisis. She announced that all existing sites currently offering harm reduction services will continue operating, and that these and any new sites will offer a new delivery model that aims to connect clients to treatment options when they are ready.

Under the government’s plan, all existing sites will be rebranded as ‘consumption and treatment services.’ In addition to the sites currently operating in the province, Elliott said the three additional sites that were “paused” while the government conducted its review (in Thunder Bay, St. Catharines and Toronto) meet the criteria to apply. She says she believes they will be able to begin offering services once their applications are given the go-ahead.     

RNAO encourages members to sign the association’s action alert thanking the government for heeding its advice on this issue (RNAO.ca/AA-SIS-OPS-thanks).