VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The public health emergency declared over the number of opioid overdoses in BC should lead to more help for people at risk of overdosing, but it may also be hurting one segment of the population. A group which supports chronic pain sufferers is worried more of its members are having to turn to street drugs.

A pain management and advocacy group in British Columbia is worried that BC’s new guidelines for prescribing opioids could cause more chronic pain sufferers to turn to street drugs for pain medication, a risky prospect according to Pain BC, as pain sufferers can’t be sure of what they’re getting w

The increased reluctance of B.C. doctors to prescribe opioids has some chronic pain sufferers turning to the black market.

Maria Hudspith, executive director of Pain B.C., said her organization is hearing from concerned pain sufferers who no longer have access to drugs they need to function normally, and are turning to the streets to acquire them.

CBC Radio

Rick Cluff

On Monday 18 July, Health Minister Terry Lake announced $50,000 in new funding for Pain BC's 2017 Pain Summit.

Important Update: Pain BC has met with the College of Physicians and Surgeons BC (CPSBC) to discuss the impact of the new Standards and Guidelines on people living with pain and their families, as well as the concerns of those physicians who have approached us since the changes on June 1.

Health Minister Jane Philpott has asked her staff to work on a range of options to address Canada’s overdose epidemic, including setting up a national surveillance system to monitor drug overdoses.

Pain BC is taking part in a new large Canadian network pioneering developments in patient-oriented health care for chronic pain research and care.

“For too long, people in pain have been told that the pain is in their heads and that there is nothing that can be done about it. Our campaign aims to dispel these myths.” – Maria Hudspith, Executive Director, Pain BC

The British Columbia Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) has presented its 2015 Humanitarian Award to Pain BC, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with chronic pain.

Researchers Across Canada Collaborate in Pain Research Opportunity

November 2-8, 2014 is National Pain Awareness Week; here in British Columbia, Pain BC is raising awareness about persistent pain like never before. As one respondent recently shared with Pain BC in an online survey conducted by Catalyst Research Group in October, "Chronic pain is very difficult to deal with alone. The supports created by Pain BC are invaluable."

“Chronic pain is even worse to live with than lung, cardiac or liver disease. Bad chronic pain is connected with the worst quality of life. People don’t realize that it is a disease on its own, not just a symptom.”