Health committee  I think it's unfortunate that there's been this binary discussion of safe supply or no safe supply. I don't think that's what the focus should be. I think the focus should be on ensuring that safe supply is actually safe for individual patients and the public. This idea of prescribing large numbers of take-home tablets is actually harming people.

Health committee  Yes. I think the Alberta model has been highly successful. They are starting thousands of people in the same day on opioid agonist treatment, and that includes people in remote communities, people who have attended emergency departments or hospitals, and this is the way to do it.

Health committee  I'm basically done. Thank you very much.

Health committee  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on the opioid crisis. My talk will focus on opioid agonist treatment—or OAT—and safer supply. Opioid agonist medications, including methadone, buprenorphine and slow-release oral morphine, are usually dispensed under supervision at the pharmacy.