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Peer Reviewed
Objective
In the province of Alberta, new regulations introduced in 2022 significantly constrain safer supply prescribing by banning the prescription, dispensing, and administration of safer supply outside of a very limited number of clinics.
Findings/Key points
In this commentary, we review prescribed safer supply programs in Canada and outline how the Alberta Government's change in regulations conflict with emerging evidence and efforts by other jurisdictions to address the rising opioid poisoning deaths. We examine the development of these regulations and analyze how the Alberta government shaped and justified this restrictive policy. We conclude by identifying important lessons learned from the experience in Alberta for researchers, healthcare providers, and decisionmakers in other jurisdictions.
