The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) launched an integrated program in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side for individuals living with chronic pain who are diagnosed with opioid use disorder.
This program, made possible with funding from Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP), will provide clients with an interdisciplinary team made up of a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, psychiatrist, family physician, peer, and nurse specialist. An interdisciplinary team of infectious disease and addiction specialists, behavioural therapists, health system researchers, and data scientists will also be put together to monitor the implementation of the program and provide feedback.
Dr. Rolando Barrios, MD, Senior Medical Director of the BC-CfE, said: “Chronic pain and substance use disorder are related and mutually aggravating conditions that disproportionately impact people experiencing social and structural inequities. People who experience chronic or complex pain, may self-manage pain through substances, notably opioids, while conversely, individuals who experience substance use disorder face a higher risk for injuries or other traumatic events resulting in chronic pain.”