British ColumbiaA group of physicians on Vancouver Island have rekindled their advocacy for overdose prevention sites in health-care settings by creating their own unsanctioned sites outside of major hospitals in Victoria and Nanaimo this weekend.Doctors for Safer Drug Policy group wants province to fund overdose prevention sites in hospitalsCBC News · Posted: Sep 29, 2025 12:50 AM EDT | Last Updated: September 29Dr. Jess Wilder, co-founder of Doctors for Safer Drug Policy, says the B.C. government’s own report backs up the data on overdose prevention sites. (Claire Palmer/CBC)A group of physicians on Vancouver Island have rekindled their advocacy for overdose prevention sites by setting up their own unsanctioned sites outside of two major hospitals in Victoria and Nanaimo this weekend.At the “pop-up” overdose prevention sites outside of Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital by the group Doctors for Safer Drug Policy, doctors, volunteers and community members handed out information leaflets, Naloxone kits and shared experiences.Dr. Jess Wilder, co-founder of Doctors for Safer Drug Policy, said she wants the government to renew its plans for hospital-based overdose prevention sites.She said people are dying while they wait for access to treatment and recovery, amid a landscape of highly potent and contaminated drugs.”We need to increase and ramp up our access and availability of things that can keep people alive while they’re trying to access care,” Wilder said.Doctors for Safer Drug Policy handed out naloxone kits on Vancouver Island over the weekend of Sept. 27 and 28, 2025. (Claire Palmer/CBC)Sites could help with ongoing treatment, say advocatesIn 2024, more than 2,300 people in B.C. died from unregulated drugs, according to the provincial Coroners Service.Overdose prevention services can be standalone sites or embedded in broader service settings, according to a recent provincial report, and allow people using drugs to consume substances in a safer environment where they are monitored for “adverse events” like toxic drug poisoning.Clients can also be connected to other substance-use care, including treatment.Wilder said a B.C. government report from June supports overdose prevention work.WATCH | Unsanctioned overdose prevention site celebrates 1-year anniversary: Vancouver Island doctors renew calls for overdose prevention sites outside hospitalsThe group Doctors for Safer Drug Policy have resumed their unsanctioned overdose prevention sites near hospitals in Nanaimo and Victoria. The group is renewing its call for funding for sites at hospitals, a year after plans for sanctioned sites were put on pause by the province. As Claire Palmer reports, they are calling on the province to step up and take action. “Unfortunately, we still haven’t had any action from that report,” Wilder said.Island Health Authority said its major hospital sites, including Royal Jubilee and Nanaimo Regional General, have “addictions medicine consult service” teams with specialized physicians focused on care planning to manage withdrawal symptoms and reduce the need to use substances while admitted to hospital.”We are focused on enhancing care and connecting people to health services wherever they are at in their journey, particularly in the face of the enduring toxic drug crisis,” Island Health said in an emailed statement.Funding remains a challengeBut the health authority said there is no new or standalone funding available to health authorities for a sanctioned overdose prevention site.Wilder said she understands the province has budget pressures, but added the toxic drug crisis has been ongoing for nine years.”It’s very frustrating and disheartening to hear that this comes down to money when we’re talking about people’s lives.”She said more than 60 people accessed the site in Nanaimo for supervised consumption since the unsanctioned site first opened in November last year.Hundreds more have received harm reduction supplies and wound care, which Wilder said has offloaded work from the hospital’s busy emergency department across the street.With files from Claire Palmer, Cory Correia and Lauren Vanderdeen
Doctors renew calls for overdose prevention with ‘pop-up’ sites at Vancouver Island hospitals
