Vernon’s substance use clinic sees 3,800 visits in 2023

She added there were 232 occasions where nurse services were accessed, 88 assessment visits, and 93 people who attended the Interior Health facility for client education purposes.

Data provided by the MHSU clinic showed the peak visiting hours for people accessing services are at 2 p.m. The clinic is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with only the Withdrawal Management and Fentanyl Patch Programs operating over the weekends. Thorne said work was ongoing to explore options for expanding service hours, especially as most of the visits happen in the afternoon, but she noted they want to meet a balance of not impacting the other area businesses through their operations.

Of the consumption visits in 2023, 248 were people using fentanyl; 149 involved methamphetamine use; 66 saw people using prescribed opioids, including those prescribed through the Opioid Agnostic Treatment (OAT) program; and 16 visits were people using heroin.

Thorne noted those figures were based on what visitors told clinic staff they were using, adding people could have been using the facility without disclosing their substances or when using more than one drug at a time.

The MHSU also moved its drug checking machine from the clinic to the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy on 31st Street, which saw access to testing increase with 184 tests undertaken in the last six months of 2023, and another 134 in the first six months of 2024.

Through the clinic, visitors to the MHSU were able to seek other forms of assistance including access to the OAT program, drug testing, wound care, and referrals to housing and income support services.

In 2023, there were 57 toxic drug poisoning deaths in Vernon, but figures appear to be declining on an annual basis.

“This year so far there has been a slight increase in the number of paramedic-attended overdose events that we are seeing within Vernon Local Health Area compared to recent years, whereas looking at it from the number of unregulated drug deaths, is now actually lower compared to last year and, as of the end of April, is projected to be lower than last year,” Chris Simms, Interior Health’s Executive Director of Clinical Operations for the North Okanagan, presenting the update alongside Thorne, said.

“So it’s good to see that number levelling off, but, of course, keeping an eye on different indicators.”

As of the end of April, a total of 12 illicit substance related deaths had been recorded in the Vernon Health Area.

Simms noted just under half of drug poisoning deaths in Vernon are occurring in private residences, while over a third are occurring outdoors.

He said Greater Vernon’s rate of outdoor deaths is above the provincial average, adding IH has looked into why the local rate is higher but hasn’t been able to find any specific contributing factor as of yet.

There have been no overdose deaths within the MHSU facility, and Thorne noted the clinic’s Overdose Prevention Service Team has been successful in reversing an overdose in every call they have responded to. Thorne said the clinic’s outreach teams are part of pilot programs, and if they continue to be successful then the MSHU will advocate for continuing them and expanding hours of operation.

Thorne acknowledged the clinic was missing out on serving some people, particularly those inhaling substances as that is not permitted at the downtown Vernon clinic, but said they still want to try to serve as many people as possible by providing them with their services or connecting them to other supports through the clinic, or meeting them where they are with their outreach teams.

Council received the presentation for information, while also asking the clinic to explore expanding hours and present findings at their next presentation.

Following the meeting, Mayor Victor Council stated the services provided through the MHSU clinic are needed in Vernon.

“The substance prevention programs are really good and we really appreciate them focusing on that for Vernon,” Cumming told Vernon Matters.

“Vernon has issues, just like all other communities, and the better the programing, the lower the impact.”

He noted the clinic has also been proactive in meeting the neighbour’s needs, as well as serving clients.

In response to critics of the clinic, Cumming said the services are not enabling.

“More than anything else it connects people to long term services and helps them care for themselves where better,” the mayor said.

“That’s our hope, because if they can’t take care of themselves well, then the rest is not good for the community and not good for themselves.”

Cumming added every death is a sad one, so any preventative measures that can be taken are important.

by Liam Verster

Vernon’s substance use clinic sees 3,800 visits in 2023

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