Letter to CPSO and Health Minister

To:
Dr. Patrick Safieh, Chair of the Board of Directors
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO)
80 College Street
Toronto, ON M5G 2E2
Hon. Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health
Ministry of Health
5th Floor, 777 Bay Street
Toronto, ON M7A 2J3
Subject: Request to Reconsider CPSO Safer Supply Amendments and Prevent Severe Harm to Vulnerable Ontarians
Dear Dr. Safieh and Minister Jones,
I am writing to urgently request that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) and the Ministry of Health reconsider the recently approved amendments to the Prescribing Drugs policy regarding safer supply medications. Specifically, I urge a re-evaluation of the blanket "no carries" requirement mandating that all doses be witnessed daily at a pharmacy, as well as the strict enforcement of monthly in-person clinical assessments for stable patients.
While I understand and respect the College's mandate to address public safety and mitigate the risk of prescription diversion, the implementation of a rigid, one-size-fits-all policy will inadvertently undermine the very harm-reduction goals these programs were created to achieve.
As documented by participants across Ontario, the Safer Supply Program has been a transformative lifeline. It has allowed individuals to escape the cycle of substance dependency, secure housing, go back to school, secure gainful employment, and build self-sustaining lives in their communities.
Imposing a blanket requirement for daily pharmacy visits strips away the stability these individuals have fought hard to achieve. It forces vulnerable patients to center their entire existence around medication procurement rather than community integration.
This policy creates profound and immediate inequities for specific populations:
Individuals with Disabilities: For patients with physical mobility limitations, severe mental health challenges, or developmental disabilities, travelling to a pharmacy daily—or multiple times a day—presents an insurmountable barrier.
Rural and Remote Communities: Patients living in Northern or rural Ontario, where pharmacies are sparse and public transit is non-existent, cannot realistically comply with daily witnessed dosing.
Human Rights Concerns: Under Ontario’s Human Rights Code, healthcare providers have a duty to accommodate individual patient needs up to the point of undue hardship. A rigid policy that denies reasonable accommodation risks violating these protected rights.
Health Canada recognizes that safer supply programs are essential for reducing exposure to an increasingly toxic, unregulated street supply. Forcing stable, successful program participants into inflexible dispensing schedules risks pushing them back toward the illicit market, directly increasing the risk of preventable overdoses and fatalities.
We urge the CPSO Board and the Ministry of Health to transition away from a blanket prohibition on take-home doses. Instead, we request an approach that permits individualized, case-by-case clinical assessments. Allowing healthcare providers the discretion to grant weekly "carries" for stable, compliant participants preserves patient dignity, protects public health, and ensures that safety safeguards do not come at the cost of human lives.
Thank you for your time, leadership, and critical consideration of this urgent matter.