Claims extracted
20
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
5%
1 of 20 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
52/100
The Globe and Mail's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
3
Health
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Ontario’s medical regulator approved significant changes Tuesday to the way doctors prescribe safer supply drugs, in an effort to reduce the amount of opioids making their way to the streets.
asserted
doctors → approve → streets
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s board of directors will soon implement several changes to the practice of prescribing safer supply, which are medications given to people at high risk of overdose as an alternative to illicit opioids.
asserted
which → implement → opioids
The board met Tuesday and passed a motion to enact the changes following a discussion on the proposals.
asserted
board → meet → proposals
The college will make it mandatory for physicians to prescribe safer supply medications only in conjunction with opioid agonist therapy.
asserted
physicians → make → therapy
The therapy uses medications such as Suboxone and methadone to treat opioid addiction.
asserted
therapy → use → addiction
“We are just here to protect the public and we’re here to ensure that the public is safe,” said Dr. Patrick Safieh, the board’s chair, near the end of the meeting.
asserted
Safieh → protect → meeting
“So we’re trying to prevent diversion as much as possible and at the same time, ensuring that those that do require safer supply are taking (opioid agonist therapy) so that eventually no one is on this and needs this, that’s the purpose.
asserted
that → try → this
The most common form of safer supply is hydromorphone, a powerful opioid often prescribed for pain but significantly less potent than fentanyl and its derivatives that dominate the illicit drug supply chain.
asserted
that → prescribe → chain
Patients will now have to take the safer supply medications in front of health-care professionals, rather than take the pills home.
asserted
Patients → have → pills
The college will not go ahead with an eight-week time limit for physicians to prescribe safer supply to patients it had previously considered.
asserted
it → go → patients
Police forces in Ontario have said that diversion of patients’ prescription hydromorphone to the black market is occurring, Safieh said.
asserted
Safieh → say → market
The board heard from Dr. Anil Chopra, the college’s associate registrar, who said they have also received information from governments, Addiction Medicine Canada, the addictions section of the Ontario Medical Association and from public health officers that diversion of hydromorphone to the streets is occurring.
asserted
diversion → hear → streets
Chopra, Safieh and others agreed there is no data available to properly quantify where the hydromorphone on the street is coming from, but said at least part of it is from safer supply prescriptions.
asserted
part → agree → prescriptions
Board member Peter Wiesner said he was concerned that the policy will not work for everyone, citing information sent in by the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network that shows more than 87 per cent of patients on safer supply are also on opioid agonist therapy.
“But what about the 12 per cent that it doesn’t work for?” he asked.
asserted
he → say → that
“We need to find, I think, some exemptions for the 12 per cent.”
asserted
I → need → cent
He said the new policy will have an outsized effect on those living in rural Ontario who are not close to a pharmacy.
asserted
who → say → pharmacy
Another concern he raised are for those people who are employed who are using safer supply drugs.
asserted
who → raise → drugs
Those people may have difficulties getting to a pharmacy every day to take their medicine if they are not allowed to take some home with them.
uncertain
they → have → them
Safieh said the college will monitor the changes and make adjustments down the road if necessary.
asserted
college → say → road
The office of Health Minister Sylvia Jones has previously said she supports the changes.
asserted
she → say → changes
The Aporia
