METHADONE COMPROMISE REACHED

Surrey has reached an agreement with provincial medical and pharmacy
officials that will keep lists of the city's methadone patients out of the
hands of police.

Council approved a bylaw Monday that still allows the city to take action
against pharmacists who break the rules when dispensing methadone, but no
longer requires druggists keep lists of their patients for police
inspection without a search warrant.

Council has been embroiled in controversy since the original bylaw was
introduced early this year. City politicians were attacked for overstepping
their authority and threatening to violate privacy and doctor-patient
confidentiality.

"I hope that when the next controversial issue comes up, we do it without
enraging half of the community and terrifying part of the community and
alienating part of the community," Coun. Penny Priddy said in supporting
the watered-down bylaw.

Surrey is trying to reduce the number of methadone dispensaries -
pharmacies whose principal business is the sale of the drug used to wean
addicts off heroin - in Whalley. Authorities also say the illegal trade in
methadone on Surrey streets is contributing to crime in the city.

The city initially tried to ban "carries," takeout methadone allowed for
some patients, altogether because police said much of the drug was being
sold or traded on the black market. Some druggists are accused of giving
unauthorized carries in order to boost business in the lucrative program.

Lacking the authority to ban carries, Surrey shifted focus and began
pushing for the patient lists.

Now, Surrey has agreements with the colleges representing physicians and
pharmacists that city politicians believe will achieve greater control of
the provincial methadone program.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons will conduct bi-annual audits of
doctors to make sure they are prescribing carries appropriately.

The College of Pharmacists has agreed to conduct undercover investigations
at pharmacies looking for illegal activity and to inform the city when
violations are discovered. The college will also work to limit to 30 the
number of methadone patients served by each pharmacy. Violators can be
fined and lose their business licences.

"This bylaw maintains the intent of the methadone program," Priddy said.

Coun. Dianne Watts said the city's intent all along was to force the
province to deal with the problems created by what she calls lax control of
the methadone program. The various incarnations of the methadone bylaw were
designed to put pressure on Victoria to correct the situation.

"We never wanted to interfere with methadone patients. We just wanted the
province to live up to its responsibilities," Watts said.

Coun. Judy Higginbotham agreed.

"Sometimes you have to use a big hammer to get a solution," she said.