METHADONE CLINIC FACES CLOSURE

The Interior Health Authority is feverishly developing a methadone
treatment plan for the Kelowna area in the wake of unconfirmed reports the
city's only methadone treatment clinic will shut its doors.

"The clinic that is downtown is a private clinic. We have heard it may be
closing, most likely will," said Dr. Jennifer Rice, medical health officer.

Efforts to contact Gardell and Associates Consultant Ltd. at both their
Kelowna location, off Lawrence Avenue, and their Vancouver head office,
went unanswered.

Rice said she would know more by next week, but confirmed IHA has already
begun meetings on the issue.

"(Interior Health) has an interest in seeing this foremost drug treatment
continue across the Okanagan," she said in a telephone interview late Thursday.

"We're working with a group of physicians to establish a network for all
physicians that provide methadone treatment and to recruit additional
doctors so that we can both expand the number of physicians involved in the
provision of this treatment and develop-a sustainable system." "I can tell
you at this point we have a fairly good idea there would not be a break in
service (if the clinic were to close)."

Rice added she has not been given a time-frame for the clinic's closure or
even received confirmation it will close.

Methadone is a synthetic replacement for opiates like heroin. Heroin
releases an excess of dopamine in the brain which causes users to need an
opiate constantly blocking the opioid receptor in the brain.

Methadone treats heroin addiction by blocking the opioid receptor,
eliminating the need for heroin.

Methadone is still considered a banned substance, restricted under section
56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

The B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons grants doctors an exemption
from the Act on behalf of the federal government. But doctors must undergo
a day-long training, two half-day preceptorships and agree to 12 hours of
addiction maintenance training per year.

Of B.C.'s 10,000 doctors, only 300a to 400 have exemptions.

"It's difficult work," said Heidi Oetter, deputy registrar for the college.

"It takes a lot of energy and time and maintenance ... We do encourage
physicians to step forward and get the training."

Methadone is administered through private doctor's offices, mental health
facilities, group homes and at health authority run clinics in the Coastal
Health Authority.

Oetter notes some provinces have public drug and alcohol clinics that
administer methadone, where Ontario and B.C. use a mixed model.