PROPOSED PHARMACY PANNED

Commercial Drive Residents Don't Want Methadone In Backyard

Fears of methadone being dispensed from a proposed pharmacy on
Commercial Drive drew more than two dozen residents of the Grandview
Woodland community to a meeting at the Britannia Community Centre
Tuesday night.

The city is considering an application for a new small-scale pharmacy
for the neighbourhood, but many residents fear it would largely be
used to dispense methadone.

The residents say that since other similar pharmacies opened in the
neighbourhood, crime has increased and dirty hypodermic needles and
discarded methadone dispensing cups are being dumped in their yards
and on the street.

Methadone is prescribed for heroin users attempting to kick the drug.

Nikhil "Nick" Buhecha, one of the business applicants behind the
proposed pharmacy, said he would consider not dispensing methadone
from the pharmacy, proposed for 1395 Commercial. Several months ago
an ad hoc group of Grandview Woodland residents dubbed No More
Methadone in my Backyard convinced an applicant and the city not to
allow methadone dispensing at a pharmacy proposed for the corner of
Venables Street and Commercial Drive.

The owner agreed to sign a covenant to that effect and has since
opened Robin's Pharmacy.

According to the group, the owner has since become an active member
of the Commercial Drive business community.

Buhecha argued he could do the same.

"We run a small-scale pharmacy at Joyce and Vanness [streets]
adjacent to a Care Point Medical Centre and we don't dispense
methadone," said Buhecha. "It's a beautiful store. We could do the
same thing here."

But the majority of the residents at the meeting did not support the
proposal. They noted there are seven pharmacies on or adjacent to
Commercial Drive, leading them to believe the new location would
primarily dispense methadone. The residents are skeptical the
pharmacy could survive financially without it.

Buhecha said he and his business partners have talked with several
doctors interested in opening a medical clinic on Commercial Drive,
which would increase the need for prescriptions. Buhecha argued that
even without the new clinic the area has enough prescription business
to go around.

Other residents noted that a Downtown Eastside pharmacy owned by
Buhecha was closed down last year by the College of Pharmacists after
Courier reporter Mark Hasiuk broke the story that addicts were
receiving inducements for bringing their prescriptions there.

Residents said they feared money made from dispensing methadone would
be too much for Buhecha or his pharmacists to resist and eventually
they would dispense the drug.

Buhecha said the Downtown Eastside pharmacy wasn't relevant to the
Commercial Drive application.

Michelle Barile, executive director of the Commercial Drive Business
Society, told Buhecha its members were concerned with the application.

"It's not that we don't want you here, but a pharmacy that dispenses
methadone should be adjacent to counselling services. It would be
unfortunate for you to start your business with the community feeling this way."