POLICE CHIEF GETS CREDIT FOR NEW METHADONE CLINIC

SAINT JOHN - Health Minister Mike Murphy is crediting police Chief
Bill Reid with convincing him to fund a methadone clinic in the
uptown. "The reason I'm here is because of the chief," Murphy told a
Tuesday morning news conference.

"He contacted me when it was apparent that drugs and drug abuse were
spilling into the streets. This wouldn't have taken place without the chief."

Murphy, along with Supply and Services Minister Ed Doherty, the MLA
for Saint John Harbour, announced plans to fund a methadone treatment
clinic at the Mercantile Centre on Union Street, which is expected to
serve at least 500 drug addicts in the city. It will be located there
until a permanent location can be identified.

There are 163 clients participating in the methadone treatment
program at the Ridgewood Addiction Services Treatment Centre and 93
on the waiting list.

The clinic will treat opiate addicts - those dependent on drugs such
as Dilaudid and heroin - with methadone, a synthetic opiate narcotic
that when administered once a day and in adequate doses, can usually
suppress a heroin addict's craving and withdrawal for 24 hours.

The new clinic allows addicts to refer themselves for treatment.

"The wait time here in Saint John should really drop to virtually
nothing," after the clinic opens this summer, Murphy said.

Overseen by Dr. Duncan Webster, the clinic will complement a program
at Ridgewood, located at South Bay. Webster, an infectious diseases
specialist, along with a nurse practitioner, will see patients at the
new clinic.

Murphy also announced that counselling will no longer be required in
tandem with methadone, which will improve access for some patients
province-wide.

"The counselling requirement has been an obstacle to care in the
past," Murphy said.

"In order to reduce the wait times as soon as possible, we've
eliminated the obligation for counselling.

"While we firmly believe that counselling along with methadone
remains the best treatment option, some individuals - because of
their circumstances or psychological makeup at the moment - can't
commit to counselling."

If clients want to go into counselling as they become stabilized, it
will be provided, he said.

Changes to the wording of New Brunswick's Prescription Drug
Formulary, a document that lists the drugs that are eligible benefits
under the province's prescription drug program are in the works
because, as it stands now, the program only allows methadone to be
prescribed in cases of opioid dependence as an adjunct to
psychosocial interventions.

The province will also renovate the Ridgewood Treatment Centre so
that methadone can be dispensed there seven days a week.

"By dispensing methadone from Ridgewood, we will be addressing an
ongoing challenge of finding enough pharmacies within the community
to dispense methadone," Murphy said.

He expects that 100 Ridgewood clients will get their methadone
prescriptions filled at Ridgewood every day.

A major challenge in meeting the demand for methadone treatment in
the Saint John area has been recruiting physicians and pharmacists,
Murphy said, because doctors must be licensed by Health Canada to
prescribe methadone.

Four physicians work 57 hours per month with the clinical team at
Ridgewood Addiction Services; the number of hours they work will be
increased to 66, Murphy said.

Ridgewood isn't easily accessible to everyone, Doherty acknowledged.
"This clinic will be handy for uptown residents," he said, adding
that there will be savings to society because associated costs of an
untreated opiate-dependent resident is about $44,000 per year,
compared to less than $10,000 it costs to treat the problem.

Julie Dingwell, executive director of AIDS Saint John, described the
new clinic as a "more relaxed approach.

"It won't be a hard program to get engaged with. Most people want to
get a job and get their life back and that's what we're going to try to do.

"We've come a long way. We did one methadone program and now we have
a complimentary program. It always works the best when you have
different kinds of services."

A request for proposals will be issued by Regional Health Authority B
requesting pharmacies to submit proposals to dispense methadone
on-site at Ridgewood.